Friend or Foe?
by Akihana-chan
Summary: Sakura and the cards are in trouble, but no one is sure how to solve the problem at hand. Who is this mysterious dude anyway? UPDATEDChapter 22! SS[RR, plz!]
1. Some History

AN: This is my first fanfic, so if it's really bad, don't get angry at me!!! Oh, and if this first chapter stinks, flame if you want. But if you do decide to flame me, at least give me some tips so that I could become a better writer. Thanks! Anyway. Thank you for actually considering reading my fic!  
  
DISCLAIMER: I don't own CCS, happy?  
  
".."=talking  
  
..=thinking  
  
^*^*^*^*=change of setting  
  
[AN.]=Author's Notes  
  
Friend or Foe By KawaiiSakuraAngel  
  
Chapter One: Sakura's History  
  
It all began when Sakura was only 2 1/2 years old. Till then, the Kinomoto Kingdom was a peaceful place. [AN: Sakura's mother is already dead, ok?] But one day.  
  
^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*  
  
A dark figure walked towards the castle. He was wearing a black robe with the hood over his head. He was also wearing a big smirk on his face. Slowly, he approached the castle, and the smirk grew even bigger. He walked up to a guard, handed him a letter, and said, calmly, that it was an urgent message for the king. Before the guard could say anything, the man vanished into thin air.  
  
^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*  
  
The news quickly spread among the castle. Before the message got even half way to the king, the whole castle knew. Just then, there was a knock on the king's door. "Come in," said a voice, and the doors automatically opened, showing a middle-aged man all dressed in black. The smirk was still on his face. "Kinomoto," the voice said, " beware. If you are just too weak to be guarding the Clow Cards, you might as well hand them to me, instead of waiting for me to come looking." Saying this, the man disappeared. A second later, there was another knock on the door. The king this time got up and answered the door himself, to see a guard holding out a message to him. The guard quickly explained how the message got into his hands. Fujitaka [AN of course, the king and Sakura's father] had his suspicions, and took the message immediately, shut the doors, and began to read.  
  
King Fujitaka,  
  
I believe that, by the time you get this message, I would have visited you already. If I haven't, then please do accept my "humble" apologies. But As I was saying, just hand over the Clow Cards, and all will be fine. But if you would like me to do it the hard way (which would include destroying you and taking over your kingdom), then have it your way. But if I were you, I'd just give in. So choose. You have exactly three days to think about it. At the end of three days, I will come back to hear your decision. Farewell.  
  
Fujitaka stared at the letter. The Clow Cards? They had been missing for at least a hundred years. Why would someone come asking for it now? And what do they want with the Clow Cards? The king then raised his head and looked at the secret place where he hid the Clow Key behind a bookshelf.  
  
So. How was it? Was it good? Oh please review. I'm probably not going to continue this fic unless SOMEBODY (even a ghost--- anyone) give me. hmmm. at least 8 reviews. That won't be too hard, will it? 


	2. The Beginning

AN: Thank you to anybody who is reading this!!! I don't care if you even flame me. I'm just happy that someone's reading this. In fact, I thought the whole world was gonna hate my fic. Anyway, thank you for reading this fic!!!  
  
Well, thank you to: Danielle Ngo, silverg3r, and strawberry for being my first reviewers!!!! (If I could give you guys a big hug, I would.)  
  
DISCLAIMER: Go and look at the first chapter..  
  
".."=talking  
  
..=thinking  
  
^*^*^*^*=change of setting  
  
[AN.]=Author's Notes  
  
  
  
Friend or Foe By KawaiiSakuraAngel  
  
Chapter Two:  
  
[AN: Um. in case somebody can't figure this out later on, Fujitaka gave the key to Sakura (who can't remember anything from back then), and handed her over to an old couple. This, way, it would be easier to escape with Touya without causing suspicions. Green eyes just stand out.]  
  
"Grandpa, Grandma?" a sweet voice rang out through the tiny little cottage. The voice belonged to a 10-year-old, with jade green eyes and brown hair. [AN: wow.-_-;; guess who.] Not long later, an old couple, in their early 70s walked in. And by the way they were staring at the dining table, it was clear that Sakura had surprised them with a whole table, full of food that looked simply delicious.  
  
"Uh. Sakura? What's the special occasion?" her 'grandpa' asked.  
  
Sakura stared back, as if she was surprised that her didn't know. "Grandpa, it's your birthday!" she exclaimed in a happy voice. Jumping up and down excitedly, she never noticed her pendent on her necklace glow, but her 'grandparents' did. Sakura looked at them, confused. "Is something wrong?"  
  
Immediately, the old couple shook their heads and proclaimed that nothing was wrong. For awhile, there was an awkward silence. Finally, the grandpa stood up and broke the silence. "Uh, would anybody like something to eat?" pointing to the table...  
  
  
  
^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^Meanwhile, at a castle 20 days' journey away... ^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^  
  
The king, Eriol Hiragazawa, had his turned towards the window. Just a second ago, he had sensed a magical force working somewhere "out there". It was a strong force, yes, but not at all menacing, and, in fact, very familiar. He knitted his eyebrows and tried to reach back to his distant (VERY distant) memory, trying to remember where, when, and how he had encountered this strange aura. 7 1/2 years ago, he had felt the exact same power, and had also tried to investigate, but failed to get any results. This time, he was determined to get more information on the subject.  
  
"Uh, master?" Suppi asked, floating around Eriol's head in his false form. It was unknown to him, but Eriol was just THAT close to getting to his goal and he just ruined it for him.  
  
Instead of being angry, Eriol was filled with hope. At least he had gotten close to a memory. Smiling to himself, he turned to face his two guardians. Before he could even open his mouth to say anything, he found out what his guardians were worried about, while he was deep in thought.  
  
Standing right in the middle of the room was a figure, dressed completely in black. The face was hidden in the shadow of the hood drawn over the figure's head, but the menacing eyes and smirk were obvious, even when you couldn't see them. A pair of eyes, watching from a hidden place in the wall widened as they took in the scene.... 


	3. Invitation

AN: I am SOOOOOOOOOO glad that someone actually likes this!!!! Actually, more than one, but you get the point. And, in case anybody noticed, I am so sorry that I spelled Eriol's name wrong. (I think.) It's Hiragizawa right?  
  
DISCLAIMER: Go and look at the first chapter..  
  
".."=talking  
  
..=thinking  
  
^*^*^*^*=change of setting  
  
[AN.]=Author's Notes  
  
  
  
Friend or Foe By KawaiiSakuraAngel  
  
Chapter Three:  
  
Fujitaka stepped out of his hiding place, and Eriol looked up at him. "What should I do now?" asked the young king. [AN: Yes, Fujitaka is hiding with Eriol. In case you're wondering about Touya, he's there too, but he'll come in later.]  
  
The older man just seemed to stare off into space. "The last time, when this happened to me, it was a man who came. This time, it was a woman. Do you really think it could be-?"  
  
"It's a possibility." Eriol said, still buried in his thoughts. Most likely it is the Li Kingdom. When they had challenged Fujitaka, the king was still alive, but now he's dead and the queen, Yelan, took over. Does that strange aura I felt before have anything to-  
  
"Wait a minute!" Eriol suddenly cried out, making everyone in the room (Suppi, Nakuru, and Fujitaka) jump. But Eriol didn't even seem to notice them. "What if-What if that power I felt was the star key?"  
  
Fujitaka's eyes widened. "Did you just say the star key? What if Sakura's still alive? What if-"  
  
Eriol cut him short. "I'm not sure. But there is one way to find out. How old was your daughter again?"  
  
^*^*^*^*^*^*^ Back in Sakura's Village ^*^*^*^*^*^*^  
  
Sakura sat up in her bed and looked around. Was she imagining it, or was her dream true? Just a second ago, she had dreamed that she was in a big castle. Not as a princess, but as a maid. And right outside her window were girls squealing in excitement about something.  
  
Sakura suspiciously but quickly got on her clothes and ran outside. Lo and behold, there was a man in the center of the crowd, handing out tiny little scrolls. [AN: Ok, so it's a village, but just assume that everyone in this story knows how to read.] Sakura managed to make her way to the front of the crowd. Before she could even react, the man stuffed a scroll in her hand. Sakura finally made her way out of the crowd, and walked back into the cottage (hut, whatever).  
  
Walking through the door, Sakura was stunned to see the little oil lamp already lit. Slowly, she approached her grandparents.  
  
"What does it say, Sakura?" they asked, looking at her. Sakura slowly unrolled the tiny scroll and began reading.  
  
To all girls ages 9-12,  
  
It is my wish that you may come to the capital for a competition. There will be selected 20 winners. These winners will have the honor of becoming a maid at the grand castle. Carriages will come for all the ladies who will attend within two days of the delivery of this note. Please be ready to come at noon.  
  
-King Eriol Hiragizawa  
  
^*^*^*^*^*^*^ Two Days Later ^*^*^*^*^*^*^  
  
Sakura had her mind made up about the competition - she wasn't going, and nothing is going to make her, not even her grandparents. She knew all the other girls would want to go, and they'd probably drag her along too, so she decided to fake it. Then it would just seem like she was left behind. Slowly, she put on her best outfit and pretended to go outside and talk to a few of the girls, just to make sure they knew she was there.  
  
Sakura watched the sun. It was slowly rising, and she could tell it was almost noon. Just to make it seem real, she started acting really excited. Unexpectedly, the carriages came a bit early, and Sakura just happened to be in the front of the crowd. Before she could run away, she was pushed into a carriage, along with four other girls her age. Unwillingly, she stayed inside the carriage, watching the townspeople wave goodbye as the carriages drove away.  
  
Maybe if she had known what was to happen at the castle, she wouldn't be so unwilling after all. . .  
  
  
  
So how was it? Please review (or e-mail in some cases) and tell me what you think!!! I have barely had any experience in writing before, so I really need some comments! Thanks! 


	4. Xiaolang

AN: Oh yeah. . . Hi! It's me again! (or maybe not again?) For those of you who like this fic, I LOVE YOU!! (not literally) Anyway, here's another chapter.  
  
DISCLAIMER: Go and look at the first chapter..  
  
".."=talking  
  
..=thinking  
  
^*^*^*^*=change of setting  
  
[AN.]=Author's Notes  
  
  
  
Friend or Foe by KawaiiSakuraAngel  
  
Chapter Four:  
  
^*^*^*^*^ The Li Kingdom (the castle) ^*^*^*^*^  
  
Yelan was pacing around in circles, deep in thought. She had just come back from Eriol's castle. The only thing was that she was afraid to declare a war against the kingdom. First of all, the nobles had a history of great magicians, and, no doubt, they still are. Though the king is still quite young, he had very strong magic. As far as she was concerned, her mission to the kingdom had failed. It was literally impossible for her to declare war against the Hiiragizawa Kingdom, since they had signed a treaty about 6 years ago.  
  
Just at this time, her son came into the room, disturbing her thoughts. He was ten years old, with messy brown hair and dark [AN: sort of?] eyes. [AN: Everyone knows who this is, right?]"You asked for me?" he asked his mother.  
  
Yelan barely had any reaction. With a small movement of her hands, she motioned for her son to shut the door of the room. "Xiaolang," she started, "I have a task I want you to do." Before she even finished her sentence, Xiaolang already knew what she was going to say, but he remained silent, as he was supposed to. His mother continued. "Xiaolang, I want you to go to the Hiiragizawa Kingdom, and help me look for the Clow Cards there."  
  
"Yes mother" was the reply.  
  
Immediately, Xiaolang turned to get ready to go. Right when he got to the door, Yelan added, "I don't care how you get there. Just find out, and come back with it, or at least some news." Xiaolang nodded his head and walked towards his room.  
  
^*^*^*^*^*^ Hiiragizawa Castle ^*^*^*^*^*^ (Sakura's POV)  
  
I looked up at the monolithic castle standing so big and beautiful. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to live here. Wait! What am I thinking? I'm going to go back to my grandparents. I'm not staying here, even if that means losing this contest on purpose.  
  
The carriage had stopped. I stepped out to see the grand castle standing so tall in front of me. All around me, I hear all the other girls staring in awe at the structure. A few other carriages drove up. I suppose that they are from other towns and villages. I looked around. I suddenly felt different. First of all, I'm the only one here with green eyes. Second, everyone seems excited except for me. Well, there would be other reasons, but I don't think I'm going to think about them right now.  
  
We all watched anxiously at the castle's gates, as if waiting for it to open. After quite a long time, a person came out, motioning for us to follow. I felt a shiver up my spine. There was something creepy about this place. No one else seems to notice, though. That's another reason why I feel different. Slowly, the castle gates opened, and we all walked into the castle.  
  
^*^*^*^*^*^*^ Another Room in the Castle ^*^*^*^*^*^*^  
  
The blinding light resided, and on the table, an orb materialized. [AN: Think of a crystal ball, but just that tiny bit bigger.] Eriol and Fujitaka looked into it. Inside, the orb formed a picture of the bunch of girls waiting in the main hall. Suddenly, Fujitaka began staring at something. Eriol, following his gaze saw Sakura, looking around, curious, not ever noticing her pendent glow. Eriol made the picture focus on Sakura. No word had to be said-they already knew the answer.  
  
^*^*^*^*^*^*^ A Little Hill (Yonder) ^*^*^*^*^*^*^  
  
Xiaolang wiped his forehead. It was noon, and the sun was scorching hot. He was just half a day's walk now from the Hiiragizawa castle. Unfortunately, he didn't think he could go on without anymore water. It's surprising how the temperature here feels hotter than a desert. Xiaolang noticed.  
  
Dragging his feet along, he was determined to keep moving. Amazingly, luck was on his side. A farmer with his small wagon came along, and asked if he needed a ride.  
  
^*^*^*^*^*^*^ Hiiragizawa Castle ^*^*^*^*^*^*^  
  
Xiaolang stood before the castle. The dark, elaborate gates stood high above him. Slowly he looked around. There just HAD to be a way in - he just has to find it. Suddenly, Xiaolang felt a strange aura from the castle. Before he could reach towards it though, it was gone. He narrowed his eyes. There was definitely something weird about this place, and he was going to find out.  
  
  
  
  
  
So. I finished another chapter! Yatta! (I think???) oh well. I'm surprised I even got this thing done so fast. To say the truth, I have to go to school now. And if you haven't guessed yet, I only slept 4 hours last night, no, this morning. Anyway, R+R!!! 


	5. The Book

AN: A big, HUGE thank you to all those people who reviewed!!! I couldn't have gotten this far without all of you. In case you want to know, I didn't write this story before I posted it... I 'm just writing as I go along. So, without all of you, this fic might turn out completely different, or I might of just had one chapter.  
  
DISCLAIMER: Go and look at the first chapter..  
  
".."=talking  
  
..=thinking  
  
^*^*^*^*=change of setting  
  
[AN.]=Author's Notes  
  
  
  
Friend or Foe by KawaiiSakuraAngel  
  
  
  
Chapter Five:  
  
^*^*^*^*^*^*^ Inside the Castle, With Sakura ^*^*^*^*^*^*^ (Sakura's POV)  
  
I am now facing a GIGANTIC pile of dirty, greasy pile of dishes. I can't believe this is actually part of the competition. They've got to be kidding, right? Well, I might as well st-  
  
What was that? I turned my head. I noticed a movement near the window, but now, whatever it was, it's gone. I think I'm hallucinating. But I'm pretty sure that I just saw a girl climb through the window. *sigh* Maybe I should start on the dishes.  
  
^*^*^*^*^*^*^ Xiaolang's POV ^*^*^*^*^*^*^  
  
Whew. Thank kami-sama for letting this be my lucky day. Finally, I have found a way to sneak in to the castle. I look around. Everyone is busy scrubbing the huge pile of STUFF in front of them. I can't stand this place. Finally, I found a place, and began picking up a dish.  
  
^*^*^*^*^*^*^ 5 Days Later, After the Competition ^*^*^*^*^*^*^  
  
"And the winners are." the person pointed at ten 'girls'. "Now I want you to come here, and I'll pair you up."  
  
A few minutes late, the girls were in their new uniforms and trying to make friends with their new partners. Sakura just stood there, wondering where her partner could have went off to. She sighed. It was so boring to just stand here a wait. Just when she was about to walk off, there was a big crash behind her.  
  
Xiaolang got up, dizzy from banging his head into the wall. The clothes were so-... he didn't have a word for it. It was so uncomfortable. He itched, and worst of all, it didn't allow you to move freely, not to even mention swiftly. Just when he regained his balance, Sakura came along. Xiaolang tried his best to look innocent.  
  
Sakura came up to him, but looked right past him instead. Syaoran was surprised she could miss him, but took this chance to escape. When Sakura came out of the hall, she saw Syaoran standing there, as if he has already waited for a long time. They greeted each other, and made their way up to the maids' quarters.  
  
^*^*^*^*^*^*^ In the Middle of the Night ^*^*^*^*^*^*^ (Sakura's POV)  
  
I can't sleep. I might have seemed happy this morning, but I'm really not. I miss my grandparents. I had said that I was going to lose the competition. I did everything wrong on purpose, but I still won. [AN: Obviously, Fujitaka wanted to keep her at the castle.] I looked over at the bed a few feet away, where the other two girls were sleeping. [AN: Sakura doesn't know that the 'girl' is a boy, but she'll find out later. (no duh..) And yes, she's sharing a room with Xiaolang/Syaoran and another girl.] I sighed. I never wanted to be a maid. I just wanted to be - myself. Myself as in living with my grandparents. Well, the AVERAGE girl. The others don't seem to mind, though.  
  
I kept thinking for a while. Then, it was as if something was calling out to me, beckoning me to follow their voice. Thing is, there was nothing to be heard, just a feeling. I looked around the room again. Everyone seems to be sleeping, so I crawled out of bed as noiseless as possible, as to not wake them up. You probably get into deep trouble for wandering around at night. Slowly, I tip-toed to the door, and opened it a crack. The coast is clear. I tried to sense where that feeling was coming from again, but I couldn't. All of a sudden, I was walking towards - I don't where. I don't even know when I started walking.  
  
Before I knew it, I was standing on a tower. The feeling was stronger now, and it felt like what ever it was, it is right next to me. It could always be hiding, so I looked around my setting. There was nothing but bricks. Then my eyes caught something. There was a small pinkish glow behind one of the bricks. I touched the brick, and, to my surprise, it fell right out. The glow was brighter, and I almost had to squint my eyes to see what was in the wall. I reached towards what, to me, seemed like a book. I took it out, and suddenly there was this big flash of light, and then it stopped glowing.  
  
I'm probably in huge trouble now. I tried to go back the way I came, but found that I was lost. The castle was a huge maze. There were footsteps behind me, and I turned around to see a girl with dark, purplish (is that a word?) hair. That's when I realized who it was. She was one of the girls that shared a room with me. She seemed really confused about something, but she offered me her help, to get back to our room. I nodded, and followed her.  
  
^*^*^*^*^*^*^ Xiaolang's POV ^*^*^*^*^*^*^  
  
I opened my eyes. There it was. That aura again. Something is REALLY wrong about this place. I walked over to the door, and left the room. There weren't any sounds in the room, so I suppose that the two girls are sleeping. I didn't bother to go back and check, though. I followed the aura. Strangely, it hung about all over the place, so it was difficult for me to pinpoint the exact location. I wandered around the whole castle, but couldn't find anyone, so I turned around to go back. That's when I realized that I had nowhere to go - I was stuck here, unless I wanted to walk even further from what might be my room.  
  
Meanwhile, Sakura and the girl, Tomoyo (here's where she comes in), noticed that Xiaolang [AN: they didn't know his name] was gone, so they were having a conversation...  
  
  
  
KawaiiSakuraAngel: So how was this chapter? PLEASSEEEEEE review. I'll die if nobody reviews. (Well, not literally. But figuratively, yes I will die.) Anyway, just review! 


	6. Hoe A Boy?

AN: A HUGE thank you to Danielle for being so supportive. And also thank everyone who reviewed!!! *grumble, grumble* By the way... oh never mind. I just forgot what I was going to say.  
  
DISCLAIMER: Yeah, yeah. Everyone knows. I don't own CCS.  
  
".."=talking ..=thinking ^*^*^*^*=change of setting [AN.]=Author's Notes  
  
  
  
Friend or Foe by KawaiiSakuraAngel  
  
  
  
Chapter Six:  
  
Tomoyo and Sakura just sat on the bed. Just a moment ago, they had introduced themselves to each other. Right after that, they both elapsed into silence. Sakura was confused, while Tomoyo had tons of questions to ask. Thing is, none of them knew the answers. They just sat there in an uncomfortable silence, until Tomoyo spotted the pendent around Sakura's neck. Sakura followed her gaze and looked at her pendent. Carefully, she took off her necklace, and tried her pendent/key. Amazingly, it fit.  
  
There was a 'click' sound, and a sudden burst of light. Sakura and Tomoyo shielded their eyes with their arms. When the light faded, they were both quite disappointed that they were still in their room. But on the cover of the pink book, there was now a little figure, yawning. The girls were both taken aback by this. It was like a little bear with wings, which made it seem almost fake. But they both knew that this wasn't a dream. Slowly, the creature began stretching drowsily, all the while staring at Sakura.  
  
Tomoyo couldn't help herself. "KAWAII!!!!!!!!" she squealed. Luckily, she caught herself before she could wake up the whole castle. The "bear-with- wings" flew slowly up to Sakura's eye level, and stared her in the eye.  
  
Finally, it couldn't help itself. "YOU are supposed to be the chosen one? THE mistress of the cards?" He just couldn't see how such a fragile girl could have so much magic. Sakura had no idea what he was saying, but she felt hurt from the way he talked, as if she were very weak and useless.  
  
Tomoyo, observant as she is, noticed the look in Sakura's eyes. "Now look at what you did," she said accusingly at the creature. "At LEAST explain about the situation before you start hurting people's feelings.."  
  
^*^*^*^*^*^*^ Xiaolang ^*^*^*^*^*^*^  
  
Xiaolang didn't know how long he was there, but it seemed awfully long and torturous. Suddenly, he felt the strange aura again. Almost smiling to himself, he got up and followed the aura the best he could.  
  
Wandering around for hours, Xiaolang was just about to give up when he ran straight into something hard with a crash. Uh-oh.  
  
There stood a guard, fully dressed in armor, standing all above him. Uh-oh wasn't the best way to describe the trouble he was in. 1) He couldn't do anything in the maid's dress he was wearing, which leads to 2) he'll probably have his head cut off before the next sunrise, since there was no choice but to surrender. Reluctantly, he followed the guard towards whatever awaits him. Little did he know that it was already past sunrise.  
  
^*^*^*^*^*^*^ Maid's Quarters ^*^*^*^*^*^*^  
  
*Knock, knock* Tomoyo bolted up. If someone was knocking on the door, it would be smart to answer, before you get into deep trouble with the boss. Boss meaning the person looking after their jobs. She was still sleepy from last night's late talk. The animal, or Keroberos (they call him Kero), was explaining to them about everything while complaining that he was hungry.  
  
She made her way to the door, feeling as if she would faint if she had to walk any more than those few steps. Opening the door, she received a note from the maid outside. Of course, the other maid was of higher stature. Tomoyo herself had only been at the castle for half a year or so. Shaking Sakura, she greeted her with a cheerful smile. As cheerful as she could manage, that is.  
  
^*^*^*^*^*^*^ The King's Study ^*^*^*^*^*^*^  
  
They just HAD to be in some trouble. Why else would the king want to see them? Carefully, the girls stepped in. They both bowed and curtsied. You called for us, you majesty? Eriol didn't seem to care of formalities. He merely nodded at them to get up. "I wanted you to come for one reason. One, the other young lady you were sharing a room with-" at this, Tomoyo and Sakura's ears perked up- "the 'young lady' actually turned out to be a young man."  
  
The girls' eyes widened. "HENTAI!!!" they shouted to no one in particular.  
  
But Eriol knew, and carefully explained to them that he was just trying to get in the castle. "And as for the second reason. . ."  
  
  
  
By the way, how was it? Please r+r. Also, I have found this great fic. CCS lovers should like it, I think. It's called The Legend of Ometin, by Piggy Ho Ho, in case you haven't read it yet. it's a really cool fic. Anyway, that's all! 


	7. Clow

AN: A HUGE thank you to everyone who reviewed!!! I am soooooo sleepy. It's one in the morning. Or it will be by the time I finish.  
  
DISCLAIMER: Kinda obvious, isn't it? Of course I don't own CCS. And also, if I did, I wouldn't have the ending like that. It's so sad! If you don't know what I'm talking about, well, too bad.  
  
".."=talking ..=thinking ^*^*^*^*=change of setting [AN.]=Author's Notes  
  
  
  
Friend or Foe by KawaiiSakuraAngel  
  
  
  
Chapter Seven:  
  
Tomoyo and Sakura were wearing their brand new uniforms. "Wow! This is so cool!" Tomoyo was practically yelling through the castle, as if afraid somebody didn't know. Sakura sweatdropped. Tomoyo was hopeless. She was so excited about being promoted to Eriol's personal maid that she would of even forgotten who Sakura was, if Sakura hadn't knocked her back into reality. She 'glared' [AN: we all know that Tomoyo wouldn't GLARE] at sakura.  
  
Sakura just smiled back. Although she hasn't known Tomoyo for a long time, she understands enough to know that Tomoyo would never get that angry. It's actually strange how she knows, but it's almost like a sixth sense, how she could just understand some people. But some people just remain mysterious, like the king here in the castle.  
  
They felt better about Xiaolang sneaking in, since, according to Eriol, he was already working there and was 'ordered' to do so. But that didn't help Xiaolang at all.  
  
^*^*^*^*^*^*^ In the Study, After the Girls Left ^*^*^*^*^*^*^  
  
Xiaolang was glaring at Eriol, who was sitting calmly. The look on his face was so calm, it made Xiaolang even more angry. If only looks could kill. . .  
  
Still, the king said nothing, but a smile spread across his still-calm face. Eriol's guardians watched from a safe place, in case he wouldn't be able to calm himself down, and burst out of his bubble. They all knew he wouldn't hurt Eriol, but he was still very strong. Eriol's smile eventually turned into a smirk. All the while, the whole room was silent.  
  
Finally, he couldn't help it. Xiaolang burst out: "How did you know all that, and why would you want to help keep my identification secret?"  
  
Waiting a few moments to reply, Eriol said, "That is for me to know. Now, since I've already accepted you as my advisor, why don't you get to work?" Of course, both of them knew that 'advisor' also meant everything from servant to messenger, and everything in between. AND, of course, the job of an advisor and secretary.  
  
Usually, Eriol would do everything for himself. But, just to see the manner of how the little wolf works, he decided to get some 'help'. Immediately, Eriol began piling all sorts of things on the table, explaining to Xiaolang what he would have to do. There was so much stuff that even Ruby Moon and Suppi's eyes almost fell out of their sockets. They almost felt sorry for Xiaolang. But then again, it's his own fault that he got into the position in the first place.  
  
Xiaolang just scowled at the pile of scrolls in front of him.Who does Hiiragizawa think he is, giving me all this work to do? But his thoughts were short lived as they were interrupted by a voice calling out his name. He turned around and barked, "How many times do I have to tell you NOT to call me that? Someone might find out who I am!"  
  
Of course, Eriol barely moved a muscle. The only thing that happened was that his usual smirk grew in amusement. "Well, XIAOLANG, if you don't want me to call you that, I suggest you change your name. Unless, of course, you want to leave," he stated matter-of-factly.  
  
Xiaolang clenched his fists to keep from hitting Eriol. "Fine then. I WILL change my name," He said as he walked away.  
  
^*^*^*^*^*^*^ Somewhere in the Castle ^*^*^*^*^*^*^  
  
BANG!!!!! "Ow. . ." "Hoe. . ."  
  
A pair of emerald orbs looked up into amber ones. It took Sakura a few seconds to realize who it was. "Gomen, uh. . . um. ." She recognized the person, but forgot the name.  
  
The boy looked at her, and said, impatiently, "The name's Li, Syaoran. That's Li to you."  
  
Sakura took in the information, and stored it in her head. "I'm Kinomoto Sakura," she replied. Something was weird. She was pretty sure that the 'Syaoran' wasn't what the king had been calling him yesterday.  
  
"I know," Syaoran snapped back, wanting Sakura to get out of his way. Sakura, being as dense as she is, didn't get the message. Syaoran put an impatient look on his face. He personally didn't like people that were too happy. To him, they were annoying. Sakura, despite how cold he was being to her, was smiling right back. Oh great, another one of those annoying people. Why do I have to have such bad luck? As if Hiiragizawa wasn't bad enough with that smirk on his face.  
  
Tomoyo was passing by, when she noticed the two standing there. Naturally, she thought that they were having a conversation. "Kawaii!" she whispered to herself as she watched them from a distance. Well, far enough not to be heard. WRONG.  
  
Syaoran had been trained in martial arts ever since he was young. That includes listening. The noises Tomoyo were making while breathing were as clear to him as - well, as anything that made a lot of noise. Casually, he turned around and yanked Tomoyo out of her hiding spot, and raised an eyebrow looking from Sakura to Tomoyo suspiciously. Tomoyo smiled the best smile that she could manage.  
  
Syaoran sighed an exasperated sigh. Like I said. . . They're annoying.  
  
^*^*^*^*^*^*^ In Sakura and Tomoyo's New Room ^*^*^*^*^*^*^  
  
Sakura sweatdropped as Tomoyo continued to rant on and on. It was no use telling her to stop. She's tried that already. For some weird reason, Tomoyo is convinced that and Syaoran, or 'Li' made the perfect couple.  
  
Suddenly, Kero flew up from his spot where he was sleeping. He blinked. "It's already morning? Then I probably didn't get enough sleep," he commented as he yawned. Sakura almost laughed at his comment.  
  
"Uh. . . Kero? You've been sleeping for more than a day."  
  
Kero blinked. "I have? And you'd think that, after sleeping for so many years, I'd--" Kero stopped in mid sentence, and his eyes widened as he looked around. "Clow?" 


	8. Confusion Arises

AN: Oh, I'm so glad that people reviewed. A special thanks to Danielle Ngo for reviewing my fic, ever since the first chapter. You're so nice! Anywayz. . .  
  
DISCLAIMER: Everyone knows about this, right? If you don't, here's a reminder. I don't own CCS.  
  
".."=talking ..=thinking ^*^*^*^*=change of setting [AN.]=Author's Notes  
  
  
  
Friend or Foe by KawaiiSakuraAngel  
  
  
  
Chapter Eight:  
  
Everyone looked at Kero, unable to talk, since they couldn't think of anything to say. "Uh. . . What does Clow have to do with this, Kero?"  
  
Instead of replying, Kero flew straight out the door of Sakura and Tomoyo's room. Sakura and Tomoyo could do nothing, but to follow him through the complicated halls of the castle. After quite a while, they found themselves standing right in front of Eriol's study, with Kero in his real form. Stimutaneously, [AN: There's something wrong with the word, I think. Could someone help me out here?] the girls thought, What does Clow have to do with Eriol?  
  
Without warning, Kero flung himself at the door, almost knocking it off its hinges. To their surprise, the door was already open, ending up making Kero fall head first on the floor of the study. There was a chuckle. Kero looked up at the young man in front of him. The aura was definitely coming from him, but a boy can't be Clow, can he? Kero didn't even bother getting off the ground as he continued to stare at the mysterious boy.  
  
There was something faintly familiar about the way he acted. Slowly, Kero got back on his feet, never allowing his eyes to leave the king. Kero furrowed his eyebrows (if he could) and thought carefully about the aura that was coming from him. Could this kid have something to do with Clow? he thought to himself, still refusing to remove his glance from the boy, who was now walking back towards his desk.  
  
Before anyone had a chance, Eriol spoke up. "Konnichiwa, Keroberos. Imagine seeing you here." He said, as if greeting an old friend that he hasn't seen for a while. Kero narrowed his eyes at the figure standing above him. The usual smirk flashed across Eriol's face as he smiled pleasantly at Kero. "Don't tell me that you don't recognize me." He continued in a surprised, and hurt voice, though anybody could tell that it was fake.  
  
Kero, of course, took this as an insult. "What do you mean by recognize you? I have never met you in my entire- uh- two days since I woke up from my nap. And how do you know who I am?" he snarled, not wanting to trust the stranger.  
  
Eriol put on a look that was so pitiful, Sakura almost fell for it. "You mean you can't even recognize your own creator?" Everybody's jaws fell to the floor. THIS boy was Clow Reed? THE Clow Reed? Kero snickered at Eriol, as if laughing at a joke. Eriol stared at each one in disbelief, and then smiled nervously. "Well, actually half the reincarnation of Clow Reed," Eriol tried to explain.  
  
Sakura was curious. "Half the reincarnation? Then who's the other half?" she asked, despite her efforts to keep her mouth shut.  
  
"Me," said a voice. Everyone turned their heads to see a man walk into the room. Sakura's eyes widened as she watched him approach. She didn't ever remember seeing him before, and yet she feels drawn to him, like they have known each other for a long time. Sakura quickly regretted looking at the man, as soon as their eyes met. It was almost impossible to tear her eyes away from the man's face.  
  
Eriol, eyeing the tension, decided to step in and help. "Um... Sakura, this is your father..." To his surprise, Sakura didn't freak out, or do anything at all. Suddenly, her figure fell onto the floor as unconsciousness swept over her.  
  
^*^*^*^*^*^*^ Sakura's POV ^*^*^*^*^*^*^  
  
I shuddered. It was impossible. That would mean that my so-called grandparents aren't her real one. My real ones were of royal descent, and were actually the king and queen of a kingdom. . . In a way, these news were exciting, but also depressing. My grandparents have always been so nice to me, have always been treating me like I was their real grandchild. I can't stand it. There must be something I can do for them.  
  
Other than that, there's still that feeling in my head. How can it be true that my father is half the reincarnation of Clow Reed? That is, if he really is my father. Besides, Kero taught me how to feel auras, and 'he' didn't seem to have one at all. Syaoran has one. It seems pretty strong, and so does King Hiiragizawa's. I thought that Clow was the most powerful sorcerer ever. If that's true, how come my .. my father .. has no magic at all?  
  
This day has been so confusing. I'm not even sure what I'm to think now. But seriously, I'm not sure if I can trust this person as my father. All of a sudden, a voice started speaking in the back of my head.  
  
"Of course you can't. He just comes into your life, and claims to be your father. How can you even think that he's telling the truth?"  
  
I argued, "Of course I can. Ever since I've first seen him today, he gives me this weird feeling."  
  
"Oh? And does 'weird' have to mean good?"  
  
"It's possible. He doesn't seem the kind of person who would lie."  
  
"There are tons of people out there that don't seem bad. And they can be murderers and criminals."  
  
I can't stand the voice. It's bothering me, fishing out my doubts, and making them seem real. Laying down on my bed, I tried my best to stop thinking - just to stop thinking.  
  
^*^*^*^*^*^*^ Syaoran's POV ^*^*^*^*^*^*^  
  
I'm dreaming, aren't I? Well, even if I am, it wouldn't be a dream. More like a nightmare. So many thing are going on here. What will I tell mother? Slowly, I took out a small piece of parchment, and began writing.  
  
Dear Mother:  
  
I think that I might have some info on the Clow Cards. Only thing is, things are too confusing that I have no idea what's going on. First, the king here is supposedly HALF the reincarnation of Clow Reed. The king that father defeated long ago, King Kinomoto Fujitaka seems to still be alive, and he's also the other half of the reincarnation of Clow Reed. Also, Keroberos, the guardian of the cards were at the scene, too, with two girls. Could one of them be the card mistress?  
  
Well, I'm going to stay and find out more. I'll send information to you as soon as I can. By the way, one of the girls is the daughter of King Fujitaka.  
  
~ Xiaolang a.k.a. Syaoran ~  
  
I rolled up the letter and tied it to the pigeon's feet. I then picked it up and walked over to the window. Great, it was raining. In fact, it was a storm. Perhaps I will be able to send this out tomorrow. The sooner it gets to mother, the better. I am still confused about everything. Maybe she will be able to help me clarify this before it's too late, and everyone finds out who I am. I didn't tell mother that I was already discovered by that Hiiragizawa. If I did, she'd be so mad a-- Hiiragizawa, STOP READING MY MIND!!!!  
  
I turned around. Sure enough, there was that annoying figure standing next to me. Of course, with that smirk on his face. It seems to be there all the time. I have never seen him without it. I'd be glad to wipe that expression off his face. But if he really was the reincarnation of Clow, there's nothing I can do.  
  
His smirk grew. "So, my cute little descendent, what are you doing?" He reached over to my hand, about to take my pigeon. I jerked my hand away. "Tsk, tsk. That's no way to treat your ancestor." I glared at him. Usually, people would cower under my glare. He just stood there, that annoying smirk still on his face, unaffected. He continued, "Oh, it's okay, I already know what you've written anyway. Haven't you ever thought about it? How often is it that you have a storm in the middle of the summer?"  
  
Oh great. . . He made the storm, just so that I couldn't send word to my mother. That mean that the only way- "Oh, and by the way. . " Hiiragizawa interrupted, "I wouldn't try to go back on foot either. That is, unless you want to get caught in a hurricane."  
  
Of course, why haven't I thought of it? He could do anything. I had magic, but his is surely stronger than mine. Defeated, I looked away, and Hiiragizawa disappeared from my room. 


	9. The Incantation

AN: Just to say.. I'm going to make Eriol teach Sakura how to change the cards. Also, just as usual, Syaoran is going to try to get the cards. There won't be much action in this chapter, I think. Unless I decide to all of a sudden. Anywayz, enjoy this chapter!  
  
Oh, and also, I've decided to add something to the plot. Read the summary!  
  
I love all you reviewers!!!  
  
DISCLAIMER: Well, how many times do I have to say this? I mean, I have enough bad luck already, and now I have to deal with this. *grumble. . . * Anyway, for the millionth time, I don't own CCS!  
  
".."=talking ..=thinking ^*^*^*^*=change of setting [AN.]=Author's Notes  
  
  
  
Friend or Foe by KawaiiSakuraAngel  
  
  
  
Chapter Nine:  
  
Sakura yawned. Because of being used to living in the country, she got up every morning at dawn. It was also required by castle rules. She sat up and stretched, looking at the bed across the room. No one was there. That means Tomoyo was already up and about. Just as she prepared to get out of bed, Tomoyo burst into the room, frantically yelling. Sakura covered up her ears, and waited until Tomoyo calmed down.  
  
"Yeah, Tomoyo, I know that it's our first official day in our new positions. Now will you please be quiet for a moment?" Sakura said, while getting up.  
  
Tomoyo began talking again, excited, but not yelling like she just was. "His majesty, the king has asked us to go to his study. I think he wants to talk to you about the Clow Cards." These words caught Sakura's attention. She had almost forgotten about the Clow Cards, and what happened yesterday. Fast as lightning, Sakura dressed, and followed Tomoyo out the door.  
  
^*^*^*^*^*^*^ Eriol's Study ^*^*^*^*^*^*^  
  
Sakura and Tomoyo arrived at the king's study. The two guards opened the door for them as they walked through. The girls bowed to the king, and walked over to Eriol. Sakura looked around. Somehow, the study suddenly seemed different. She felt someone looking at her, and looking up, saw Syaoran. Quickly, he looked away.  
  
Sakura averted her eyes to Eriol with a questioning look. Eriol opened his mouth, but shut it again, not sure of what to say. Syaoran, standing behind him, snickered. Tomoyo found herself looking at Syaoran disapprovingly. It wasn't something that a person should be permitted to do to a king - especially the king that you are working for. Her eyes darted back to Eriol, wondering what he was going to say.  
  
Finally, after a long pause, Eriol spoke: "Sakura, uh, I'm going to have send your father and brother away. It might be dangerous for them to stay here."  
  
Sakura turned her eyes toward Eriol. Forgetting her manners, she said, "Wait, did you just say that I have a brother? And how would it be dangerous for hi - them? And where are you going to send them?"  
  
Eriol almost chuckled at this. "Whoa, one question at a time. First off, you DO have a brother. His name is Kinomoto Touya. Second, it would be dangerous for them because someone in the Li family already knows that your father is hiding here. Where I am sending them, I cannot tell. I'm sorry, but I can't."  
  
Sakura didn't really understand his last statement, but nodded. Then, Tomoyo nudged her. "Sakura, you need to remember your manners next time when talking to the king," she whispered.  
  
Eriol heard her, and stated, "It's ok, Tomoyo, I consider you all my friends, so there's no need to be too polite." Tomoyo looked a little embarrassed, her cheeks glowing pink. To her, it felt as if her whole face was going to catch on fire. She glanced around, and seeing everybody laughing at her, lowered her head. This just made everyone laugh more.  
  
^*^*^*^*^*^*^ Later, in the Courtyard ^*^*^*^*^*^*^  
  
Eriol and Kero slowly went over the incantation with Sakura for the 100000th time. Kero was starting to get annoyed. . . and hungry. Eriol just smirked at Kero. Sakura sweatdropped. There never seemed a time when Eriol didn't have a smirk on his face. But every time, the smirk seemed to fit the situation perfectly.  
  
Slowly, Sakura began to say the incantation all over again. To everyone's surprise, her pendant turned into a staff. Kero was just happy that it was all over. "Ok, since Sakura learned the incantation, could we get a break here, and have something to eat now?" he whined. Everyone laughed as his stomach let out a big growl.  
  
^*^*^*^*^*^*^ At the Same Time, on the Castle Balcony ^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^  
  
Syaoran looked over towards the courtyard. Eriol and Kero were standing next to Sakura, apparently talking to her. Nearby, Tomoyo had a painting easel, and was busy moving her hand with the brush as quickly as she could. It seemed like she was painting the trio.  
  
All of a sudden, a bright light surrounded the three. When the light slowly died down, Syaoran made out the three figures of Sakura, Hiiragizawa, and Keroberos still standing where they were. The only difference was that, in Sakura's hand, there was now a staff.  
  
Syaoran began to curse at himself silently. Why didn't he figure out sooner that the girl was the destined mistress of the cards? For a second, it seemed as if 'that' Hiiragizawa looked towards the balcony. Syaoran blinked, and looked closely, but Everyone, including Tomoyo, were heading in for a break. He shook off the feeling, and walked back inside.  
  
^*^*^*^*^*^*^ Eriol's POV ^*^*^*^*^*^*^  
  
I walked towards the castle with Tomoyo, Sakura, and Kero. Deep inside of me, I can feel that something wasn't right. I looked up. Sure enough, there was Syaoran, looking down on us. I quickly returned my attention to those around me when our eyes met. He was planning something, I know it. Maybe I'll go check up on him.  
  
As the other three walked inside, I teleported myself to the same balcony that Syaoran was standing on a second ago. I looked inside, but no one was there. I tried using magic, but Syaoran's aura was far away, definitely not inside the room. I looked around once more. Could I have been mistaken? Maybe I was just imagining Syaoran on the balcony. I cleared myself of the feeling, and teleported back down to where the others were, still confused. I rarely made any mistakes. . .  
  
Was I making a one by allowing Xiaolang (a.k.a. Syaoran) stay?  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Sooo. . . How was it?!?!? Tell me the truth. If you really want to flame me, go ahead. Oh, and by the way, if you really ARE going to flame me, give me some tips! ^.^ Anywayz, I hope you guys like this chapter. I probably won't be able to update very soon, but I'll try to find some time to work on the next chapter during break.  
  
Also.. I have REALLY bad luck. Can you believe it? My school only gives two days off for Thanksgiving. TWO days!!!!! All my other friends from my old school get three. Oh well. That's all, except. . . PLEASE R&R!!! Thanks ahead of time to anyone who reviews! 


	10. Transforming the Cards

AN: Ok.. another chapter. I'm surprised I even made it so far..  
  
IMPORTANT: I forgot to mention: does anyone know Sakura's incantation thing? You know, for her staff? I see it everywhere, but every time, it's different. I can't continue writing if I don't know it!!!! Well, I could, but it would be different. Oh, and I also wouldn't mind if somebody would give me an example of how she summons her cards. -.-;;  
  
Also, I won't make Syaoran TOO mean. But if he goes too soft on Sakura, it wouldn't be fun anymore, would it? Besides, it wouldn't be like him.  
  
I love everyone that reviewed!!!! You are soooooo nice! And I'm also soooooo happy that people like my fic!!!!!!  
  
DISCLAIMER: Oh great. .. another chapter, another disclaimer. I don't believe this. Why do I have to do this anyway? Alright, alright... I don't own CCS,  
  
".."=talking ..=thinking ^*^*^*^*=change of setting [AN.]=Author's Notes  
  
  
  
Friend or Foe by KawaiiSakuraAngel  
  
  
  
Chapter Ten:  
  
Sakura stared up at the stars from the window of her room. She was tired from the 'training' she was doing with Kero and Eriol. To her, it was more like labor. So far, she had seen the works of Windy and Fly. Flying, she found out, was actually quite fun. This means that she still has a LOT more to go, and then after she gets the hang of summoning the cards, she'll have to transform them all to her own cards.  
  
She sighed. Why me? I didn't do anything to deserve this.... Well, if fate really wanted her to be 'the chose one', there was no other choice, was there? All of a sudden, a quick shadow passed the window. Sakura walked over and looked out (they didn't have glass windows), but didn't see anything. Eriol had warned her that there were many people out there that want the Clow Cards for their power.  
  
A chill crept up Sakura's spine. It felt like someone was watching her. Turning around, she didn't see anyone, except her own shadow, cast on the wall by the moonlight. Slowly, she climbed back into her bed, and tried to sleep.  
  
^*^*^*^*^*^*^ The Next Day ^*^*^*^*^*^*^  
  
Sakura woke up, and prepared herself for another day. She was still tired from yesterday, but at least now she knew what to expect. She braced herself, because Tomoyo always bounced in through the door when she's about to wake up. Surprisingly, nothing happened. Sakura glanced outside the window. "HOE!!!!!!" she yelled. It was almost noon already, and here she was, still in bed. As fast as possible, she got dressed and sprinted to the courtyard, where everyone was waiting.  
  
Eriol and Kero sighed in relief and exasperation as they saw Sakura approach. They had waited for a long time. If she was going to be like this every time, Eriol would have to let Syaoran rule for him, since he can't find the time to. But then, scratch that idea. That would be like handing his own kingdom to the Li's. Tomoyo had her easel out, apparently painting something. Next to her, there was also a basket filled with cloth, needles (and thread), and some pieces of string.  
  
Sakura didn't bother asking Tomoyo about it. She ran right over to the other two, and took off her star key. As soon as it was changed into a staff, she faced Eriol and Kero, waiting for instructions. Eriol sweatdropped as the Clow Book magically appeared in his hands. Sakura smiled the best she could. How could she have forgotten the Clow Cards?  
  
Eriol didn't say anything, but handed Sakura the Book. He could sense Syaoran's aura, which meant that he was probably very close to them. He hadn't noticed yesterday, when he was focused completely on training Sakura. Trying to take his mind off the matter, he continued with Sakura's lesson.  
  
Finally, after summoning a few cards, the sleep card was next. The sleep card spread its powder everywhere, including Tomoyo, and a small portion of the forest. Tomoyo fell asleep almost instantly. Luckily, she was already sitting on the ground, she wasn't hurt. From the forest, there was a sneeze, and then a THUD. Sakura, Eriol, and Kero in his false form went to see what was there.  
  
^*^*^*^*^*^*^ Syaoran's POV ^*^*^*^*^*^*^  
  
I watched the Kinomoto girl run out of the castle. Ha! How pathetic. It was already noon, and she just got up. I get up every morning even before sunrise. Besides, shouldn't a little peasant farmer girl like her be used to waking up early? [AN: don't forget, Syaoran's a prince.]  
  
I sneered at the girl, almost falling out of the tree I was sitting on. I am lucky my green robes blended well with the colors of the forest. If they weren't, probably Hiiragizawa would have spotted me already. I sighed. I was only staying around to see what the cards can do. If they weren't going to start soon, I might as well just steal them from the girl right now.  
  
Finally, they were going to start. I watched as they tried out a series of cards. I watched carefully and listened. Then she took out another card, but I couldn't hear the name of it. Well, as soon as I see what it does, I'll know.  
  
I waited impatiently. Finally, she summoned the card. Took her long enough. I watched as the card flew around. It didn't seem to be doing anything. Suddenly, there was some weird powder all around me. I sneezed, and the last thing I knew, I was falling off the tree limb, towards the ground.  
  
^*^*^*^*^*^*^ Five Days Later ^*^*^*^*^*^*^ (Gee, time passes by so fast)  
  
Sakura opened the door slightly, peering in. Syaoran had been semi- conscious for the past two days. Even Tomoyo woke up already. She guessed that maybe it had something to do with the sleep card, and also the fact that he hit his head hard on the ground. She made a face at the thought. It must of hurt.  
  
Slowly, Sakura walked into the room, followed by Eriol. Sakura didn't even know he was there until she heard his footsteps. Eriol merely nodded at her, and walked over to Syaoran, examining him. "Well," he said, "at least all his bruises are gone. I can't really help it if he was mentally damag-- " A groan cut him off.  
  
Syaoran slowly opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was "that Hiiragizawa" 's face. "AHHHH!!!!" he yelled.  
  
Eriol smiled, or actually smirked back. That DREADFUL smirk that was always on his face. Syaoran growled. He looked behind Eriol, and saw Sakura standing there, a bemused look on her face. Obviously, she had no idea why Syaoran screamed in Eriol's face. Before she could ask, Eriol pushed her out of the room, saying that he and Syaoran needed to have a little chit- chat. Sakura just got more confused. Before she could reply, the door closed right in her face.  
  
Eriol walked back over to Syaoran, who was about to stand up. "You, know, my cute little descendent, I wouldn't try to get up that fast."  
  
Syaoran didn't listen to him, and tried to stand up. But as soon as he got up from his sitting position, he collapsed on the ground. Glaring up at Eriol, he demanded, "What did you do to me?" The infamous glare was focused on Eriol. As usual, it didn't have any effect.  
  
Eriol just looked at him skeptically, and put on a hurt look. "Why would you blame anything on me? Why would I ever want to hurt my cute little descent?" Another *useless* glare.  
  
Syaoran rolled his eyes impatiently. His glare did nothing to Eriol, and he can't even stand up. There was no way that he could get revenge on Hiiragizawa in that condition. There was only one choice other than violence. "Hiiragizawa, will you st-- PLEASE stop calling me that? It's getting on my nerves," he said through gritted teeth. As much as he hated it, he had to force himself to practically BEG Hiiragizawa.  
  
Eriol's face grew serious. "I need to talk to you about something."  
  
Syaoran snickered. "You? Talk? Now that's the funniest thing I've heard," he replied sarcastically. "Honestly, Hiiragizawa..."  
  
Eriol just waited until he finished. Finally, Syaoran figured out that he was really being serious. "Now, as I was saying, you know that Sakura is the cards' mistress, don't you?" It was more of a statement than the question it was meant to be. Syaoran didn't say anything, so Eriol continued. "Maybe you should go back to you own kingdom, where you belong."  
  
Syaoran looked up. "And why is that? You know what my mission is - to retrieve the Clow Cards. You probably also know that I'm not supposed to return until the cards are in my mother's hands."  
  
"You're right, Xiaolang, I DO know. But since the cards have already found their rightful mistress, why don't you just let them go? It'll be no use trying to take them away from her."  
  
Syaoran didn't care. With determination in his eyes, he replied, "That is MY business, Hiiragizawa, not yours. I'm going to get the Clow Cards one way or another, even if it means that I'll have to fight Kinomoto for them." For some strange reason, the thought of fighting Sakura didn't appeal to him.  
  
Eriol saw how stubborn Syaoran was. There was no way to convince him to change his mind. The only one who could alter Syaoran's thoughts was himself. Eriol sighed, and walked out the door, leaving an angry Syaoran, who was still on the floor.  
  
*Of course, it was a pretty long time until he actually was able to climb a tree and watch Sakura train again.  
  
^*^*^*^*^*^*^ In the Courtyard Several Days Later ^*^*^*^*^*^*^  
  
Finally, Syaoran felt well enough to watch their training sessions. Even while Syaoran was hurt, Eriol and Sakura didn't stop training. By now, she had already transformed most of her cards. Syaoran, of course had no idea. As he watched, he was surprised to see her transform the cards. Little did he know that, after today, she will have already transformed all the cards. Even so, he was astounded that she could even undertake a task like that.  
  
To Syaoran, Sakura had always seemed like a weak little girl, unable to do anything. And when she was discovered to be the card mistress, he was even more surprised. It seemed almost impossible that a girl like her would even be able to control the cards, much less transform them into her own.  
  
Quickly, the little wolf made up his mind. He was going to have to get he Clow Cards today. He couldn't risk having Kinomoto transforming all the cards. That would mean that they were officially hers. If only he could get her away from Hiiragizawa's constant protection...  
  
  
  
So....? How was it? Onegai, please review!!!!!  
  
Also: I really wouldn't mind if someone could help me out. In case nobody read what I said at the beginning of this chapter, I need the incantation for her staff, and how she summons her cards. I.. uh.. kinda forgot. Heh- heh..  
  
Anyways, thank you for reading my fic! 


	11. An Enemy Rises

AN: Gee... People like my fic. I'm so moved. *sniffle*  
  
As usual, I thank everyone who reviewed, and I'm sorry I didn't post this up sooner! Actually, this is pretty soon for me. But still, I'm sorry all the same.  
  
DISCLAIMER: Another chapter, and another boring old disclaimer. Well, everyone knows what I'm going to say: I don't own CCS.  
  
".."=talking ..=thinking ^*^*^*^*=change of setting [AN.]=Author's Notes  
  
  
  
Friend or Foe by KawaiiSakuraAngel  
  
  
  
Chapter Eleven:  
  
As soon as the training was over, Syaoran sneaked back in, hoping to make he impression that he was never out. If he had just stayed a little bit longer, he would have known that it was now impossible for him to take the cards. If just had just stay ONE moment longer, he would have known that his mission was a failure. But he didn't.  
  
Eriol walked into his study and shut the door. Syaoran was sitting at his desk, bent over, and doing some of his work. When the door opened, he looked and smiled. Now just by the smile, Eriol could tell that Syaoran was definitely up to something. But wouldn't he already know that it was useless, now that Sakura had transformed all the cards?  
  
Eriol mentally hit himself. How could he have forgotten? His own ability to read minds! Eriol acted like nothing was wrong, and merely said that his 'cute little descendent' was doing well. Strangely, Syaoran didn't even seem the least bit mad. He was obviously so happy about something else that he didn't even feel like getting mad. Something was surely wrong.  
  
Reaching into Syaoran's head, Eriol obtained all the information he needed. So his descendent didn't know that Sakura had already transformed the cards, just what happened today. There had to be some way that he can protect Sakura. But then again, this could serve as a test for Sakura. Smiling to himself, Eriol thought over his idea carefully.  
  
^*^*^*^*^*^*^ Later That Night ^*^*^*^*^*^*^  
  
Sakura woke up, her head throbbing. Kero couldn't wake her up, so the only thing he could do was to jerk on her hair. Sakura put her hand over her scalp. "That hurt, Kero," she whined, unaware of what was going on. Just then, she felt an aura.  
  
Kero read the expression on her face. "Took you long enough," he said. Then, more seriously, "I think someone's out to get the Clow Car - uh - Sakura Cards."  
  
Sakura looked at him. "How would you know, Kero?" Kero didn't have a chance to reply as a shadow swept past the window. Sakura messily dressed, then took out Fly.  
  
Key of Clow!  
  
Power of Magic,  
  
Power of Light,  
  
Surrender the wand  
  
The force ignite!  
  
RELEASE! [AN: is that right?]  
  
Soon, she (and Kero) was soaring out the window. All the time, she never noticed that Tomoyo was not in the room.  
  
Gliding in the air, Sakura looked downward, trying to relocate the shadow that had passed her window. Syaoran, meanwhile, just slipped into Sakura's room. Of course, he was stunned to find no one there, not even Kero. Confused, he looked back through the window that he just came in through. Up in the sky, he just barely made out the silhouette Sakura on her staff, with Kero Flying behind her. Scowling, he climbed back through the window, still determined to snatch the 'Clow Cards' from Sakura.  
  
Taking out a charm, Syaoran yelled, "Wind!" [AN: If anyone knows how to say this correctly, I'd be VERY, VERY grateful to them. I don't really know any of the incantations and stuff. ^.^] A strong gust of wind intercepted Sakura's flight, causing her to lose her balance, and fall off her staff.  
  
Syaoran knew that, if she died, it meant that the cards had no mistress or owner. But that would also make him a murderer. Quickly, he shook off the thought. His focus was on his mission, not the outcomes. His mother had warned him from thinking too much. It was the right time to take her advice.  
  
Sakura closed her eyes for the impact with the ground, but was save by Kero, in his true form. Smiling a 'thanks', she faced in the general direction the aura was. "Whoever you are, why don't you step out and face me?" she asked boldly.  
  
Syaoran smirked. If it weren't for Keroberos, Sakura would have fallen to her death. But Keroberos couldn't always be just in time, can he? Unafraid, Syaoran stepped out. He was dressed completely in black, even with a piece of cloth tied across his face, to hide his identity. Sakura was a bit scared, but she felt safe with Kero beside her. She saw 'the figure' almost a sword from thin air.  
  
Reaching in a pocket sewed to the side of her dress (Tomoyo put it there), Sakura pulled out three cards: Fight, Sword, and Power. Then the fight began. The two were evenly matched, but Syaoran's energy was slowly dying out. Sakura, backed up y the power card had no trouble at all. They clashed their swords together, the metallic ring cutting through the silence of the night. None of them were able to get to each other.  
  
Seeing that Sakura was gaining the upper hand, Syaoran decided to retreat. As he leapt away, he was not quick enough to avoid Sakura's sword. Sakura's sword grazed his left shoulder. But before she had the time to harm him more, he had already changed his sword back into a pendent, and ran off. Unluckily for Syaoran, Sakura had caught a glance of his pendent.  
  
Eriol stood nearby on a wall, watching his half-daughter fight his descendent. To him, it was quite interesting. He smiled to himself as he watched Syaoran escape, and felt happy for Sakura's first fight/victory.  
  
^*^*^*^*^*^*^ The Next Morning (Syaoran's POV) ^*^*^*^*^*^*^  
  
I was just about to get out of bed, when a piercing pain in my shoulder made me lay back down. The cut had gone deeper than I assumed. Looking down, I noticed that part of my clothes were half drenched in my own blood. I decided to ignore the pain, and got up. Taking out some bandages, I hastily wrapped up my wound, put my jacket over it, and rushed out of the room. For once, I woke up after sunrise. Guess I had to skip my training (more like practice) today.  
  
Quickly, I ran towards Hiiragizawa's study, running into a few guards on he way. Just when I was about to reach the door, I ran straight into somebody. I landed on my left shoulder as I fell. I forgot about it, but now the pain was back, and unbearable. I cursed at myself for being so careless. I offered to help the person up, as I was expected to. Boy was I surprised when I saw Kinomoto there.  
  
^*^*^*^*^*^*^ Sakura's POV ^*^*^*^*^*^*^  
  
I was just approaching Eriol's study when a figure banged right into me. The person got up, and offered me a hand. After getting up, I found out that I just ran into Li. I thanked him politely, and turned to walk inside. To my surprise, Li just pushed right past me, and into the study. As he walked by, I noticed something that hung around his neck, on a string. It looked so familiar...  
  
I decided that I would think about it later. I have already promised Eriol that I'd come today. That's when I noticed that Tomoyo was nowhere to be seen. It was weird... She had been behind me the whole time. We were talking just before I bumped into Syaoran, too. Maybe she went back to thinking that I make a nice couple with Syaoran. I groaned. That would mean that she'll do everything she can to put us together.  
  
I walked back down the hall a little bit. Then I spotted Tomoyo, with her quill, drawing something. Sighing, I pretended I didn't notice her attempts to hide whatever it was. "Tomoyo, where were you?"  
  
Tomoyo evaded my question. "Um, Sakura, didn't you say that you had to see Eriol? Why don't we go? You'll be late!" she half yelled, dragging me towards Eriol's room.  
  
^*^*^*^*^*^*^ In the Study ^*^*^*^*^*^*^ (3rd person)  
  
As usual, Eriol seemed to know what Sakura was going to say. "It's ok, you could talk," he said. She guessed he meant that Syaoran already knew about the Clow Cards. Sakura took a second to think over what she was going to say. Again, Eriol interrupted. "So, Sakura, what exactly happened yesterday?" he asked, as if completely clueless. The statement was so obvious, it could have even fooled the densest person on earth. If Eriol really was clueless, he wouldn't have known that something happened yesterday.  
  
Sakura prepared herself to speak again. "Yesterday, someone tried to steal the cards from me. I don't know, but it seemed like they had magic, too. Not to mention that the person was pretty well trained in martial arts. I think I was only able to win because my enemy was running out of energy, and I had the power card to help me."  
  
Eriol grinned. "I see. Did you see who the person was? I could help you find him out, if you want."  
  
Sakura thought about the offer. "It's ok, Eriol, I think I can find the person myself." Syaoran grew nervous. Did this mean that she knew it was him all along? Nobody noticed the fact that Syaoran was biting his lip so hard, it was starting to bleed. "I think that the person will come again. All I did was cut him or her on the shoulder. It was a minor injury."  
  
Eriol nodded as his lips curved into a smirk. Syaoran noticed this, and just clenched his fists. If not in anger, it was in nervousness. So maybe Eriol knows. Or worse - they might both know. Syaoran wanted to beat himself up. How could I be so stupid? Of course Hiiragizawa would know. He could read minds! And he probably told Kinomoto that I would come after the cards.  
  
Eriol saw Syaoran's expression from the corner of his eye. Casually, he turned around and said, "Syaoran, I see you aren't feeling well today. If you want, you can go to your room." Syaoran glared at Eriol, but bowed politely, and took his leave.  
  
Tomoyo commented, "Well, you know, Li's face HAS been looking sort of pale today, but it doesn't seem like he's sick." She saw Eriol look at her with an amused expression. So now everyone in the room knows that the culprit was Syaoran except for Sakura. But yet I'm still trying to put them together, which is quite impossible, considering the conditions they're in. Tomoyo sighed. Maybe she was doing this all for nothing. Glancing around, she noticed that nobody was talking. "Uh... Sorry, Eriol, but Sakura and I have something to do, so we'll just go." Tomoyo said, hauling Sakura out of the room.  
  
^*^*^*^*^*^*^ Syaoran's POV ^*^*^*^*^*^*^  
  
For once, I actually have to thank Hiiragizawa. At least he saved me from heaps of embarrassment. Sighing, I looked back out my window. Out of nowhere, I just became so angry with myself I slammed the window with my fists. As soon as I did it, I regretted the action. Again, I had forgotten the cut in my arm.  
  
I took off my jacket and observed the bandages on my shoulder. They were a mess, not to mention that the bandages weren't the best you could find, either. They were in tatters, and were barely in condition to wrap up even a finger. Disgusted, I 'unwrapped' them, not that there was anything to unwrap. Having more time on my hands, I decided to see if I brought better bandages.  
  
After looking for hours, I guess I didn't bring any after all. Putting some new 'bandages' on my arm, I leapt out my window. I had to buy some before it's too late.  
  
^*^*^*^*^*^*^ In the Marketplace ^*^*^*^*^*^*^  
  
Sakura and Tomoyo were taking a small stroll through the marketplace of the capital. Everywhere around them, there were stalls selling food, cloth (Tomoyo was delighted), hair accessories, and... bandages.  
  
Tomoyo nudged Sakura. "Isn't that Syaoran over there? What is HE doing in marketplace, buying bandages?" she asked slyly. The sooner Sakura figured out it was Syaoran, the better chance that she'll be able to win. As long as it doesn't come as too much of a shock.  
  
Sakura squinted, since the sun was in her eyes. "Yeah, I think that's him. Gee, Tomoyo, you have really good eyesight." Inside, she was wondering about what Tomoyo was asking. Why WAS he buying bandages? He didn't seem hurt. And besides, wasn't he supposed to be sick and pale?  
  
Tomoyo answer Sakura's unspoken question with a small white lie. "Perhaps Kin-- er, Eriol sent him to buy some?" she said uncertainly, not sure if Sakura would fall for it. Sakura seemed to fall for her lie. Boy, is she gullible. Tomoyo thought as they continued walking through the busy place.  
  
~ Syaoran just finished buying some bandages, when he felt eyes on him. Instinctively, he turned around, his amber eyes searching through the crowd of swarming people. Nobody seemed to notice him. Being much more cautious, he slipped out of the crowd, and headed back towards the castle. ~  
  
  
  
So how's my new chapter? Please review. I need to know how you feel about my story! Also, I hope that I did the incantation right. I got the info from a friend, but I'm still not that sure... (Sorry Angela!)  
  
Anyway, don't forget to review! I really would be happy to see any comments/useful criticism/ideas. (Well, ideas, because not even I know the plot of this story. Heh-heh. ^.^;;;) OF course, flame if you want. But if you ARE going to flame me, tell me how I could make it better! 


	12. Another Battle and a Discovering of Feel...

AN: I'm soooooo sorry for not getting this up sooner. You see, I was piled up with projects and such. Oh, and I'm so sorry for not using the correct incantation. (Oops...)  
  
Oh, and thank everyone who helped me with the incantations! I'm so sorry for the mistake I made the last chapter, but I'm still too lazy to change it.  
  
As usual, I thank everyone who reviewed!  
  
DISCLAIMER: Well, isn't this nice? ANOTHER disclaimer. Argh.. I hate these things. Well, I don't own CCS.  
  
".."=talking ..=thinking ^*^*^*^*=change of setting [AN.]=Author's Notes  
  
  
  
Friend or Foe, by KawaiiSakuraAngel... Chapter Twelve:  
  
^*^*^*^*^*^*^ Syaoran's POV ^*^*^*^*^*^*^  
  
I sighed as I saw the sun begin to rise above the mountains. Oh great... another torturous day. I can't believe it. I usually heal pretty fast. For some strange reason, the wound on my arm seems stubborn about the healing process. Wrapping up the cut, I prepared myself for another day. It had begun bleeding again when I tried to practice my martial arts in the morning. I'm lucky I'm not the type of person who is afraid to see blood. If I were, I'd be dead by now.  
  
At least nobody seems to know about my secret. Well, except for Hiiragizawa. I just HATE the way he reads my mind. It's so annoying. If I had a chance to kill him, I would. Of course, that would begin war.  
  
I winced. WAR. That word meant a lot to me. That word had caused my father's death. Kinomoto's army killed him. There - that's another reason I could kill the girl. I could take the chance to get revenge. I began to balance this out in my head.  
  
Why I should kill her: Her father's army killed my father. She's the card mistress. It's the only I can get the cards from her.  
  
Why I shouldn't kill her: ... Um, is there a reason why I wouldn't want to kill her? Oh yeah.. she's pretty. [AN: haha... Syaoran's beginning to think Sakura's pretty. ^.^]  
  
Oh wait. Scratch that thought. If mother or Meilin found out I was thinking that, they'd kill me. Besides, I don't think she's pretty anyway. If I did, I wouldn't have tried to kill her. If I did, I wouldn't be her enemy. On a second thought, maybe I do. Do I?  
  
Grrrrrrr... I'm getting myself all confused. I mean, it's impossible for me to actually think that, right? I had never said (or even thought) of a girl like that before. That would include my annoying cousin, who also happens to be my fiancé. Not that I even care about it. It was a stupid childhood promise I made years ago, and she took it for real.  
  
Come to think of it, my life is pretty complicated. But while I'm here, my focus is on getting the cards, so I shouldn't be thinking about this stuff. But if I'm to get the cards, I might have to kill the mistress, who I just said was 'pretty'. So these thoughts DO have something to do with my mission. My cousin has nothing to do with this, but she also DOES have something to do with this. If she knew I thought another girl was pretty, she'd strangle me.  
  
"ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!" I yelled into the woods. Well, I least I calmed down a little. But calming down didn't' slow down the thoughts that were overflowing the sup that was my capacity to think. All of a sudden, there were noises from some bushes around me. I guess my yell woke up a lot of the forest anima- wait, I don't think there are even any animals in this forest. For the past few weeks, I'd been sitting here watching Sa- Kinomoto train. There had never been any animals around.  
  
Before I could figure out the situation I was in, a huge branch right above my head came crashing down. Just in time, I leapt away. Somehow, I have the sneaky suspicion that Hiiragizawa was behind all this. Turning around, I proved my theory true: whenever you're in trouble, Hiiragizawa is the cause of it.  
  
What I saw was worse than I ever could have imagined.  
  
There was Hiiragizawa, standing there. Dreadful thing is, he looked like he was going to die laughing any moment. I felt my anger build up inside me. He had been reading my mind. And this time, it felt horrible. Now the stupid, annoying idiot knew my weakness. Suddenly, he just started laughing harder. Oh great, now he knows I just insulted him.  
  
Hiiragizawa started to choke, he was laughing so much. I stood there, to angry to know how to move. The next thing I knew, a small branch fell on my head. Well, if you call an arm-sized branch small. I snapped out of my trance. Glaring at Hiiragizawa, I silently challenged him. No, not to a duel. I can't win against the reincarnation of Clow Reed. I don't even know what I challenged him to myself. Somehow, he found out the answer before I did.  
  
"So, the little wolf does have an Achilles' heel after all," He smirked. Of course he smirked. It was 'normal' for him. But this smirk was daring me to talk back. I smirked back. I'm not that stupid. Some guy said that, the more you hide away from something, the more you are scared of it. Well, I'm not SCARED of Hiiragizawa, but I'm just stating the quote.  
  
Hiiragizawa continued talking. "If you want, I think I can find a way to help you with your problems." I raised an eyebrow in disbelief. He continued: "Well, here are some ideas:  
  
1) You could 'kill' Meilin. 2) You could abandon your mission. 3) You tell Meilin your feelings for Sakura. 4) You forget my half-daughter 5) You commit suicide.  
  
How does that sound?"  
  
I scowled at him. Every single one of those ideas were impossible for me to do, and he knew it. Clenching my fists, I walked away from him. As I did, I silently wished that my troubles could have stayed with Hiiragizawa. Then at least they won't bother me anymore.  
  
^*^*^*^*^*^*^ A Few Weeks Later ^*^*^*^*^*^*^ (3rd person)  
  
Sakura was very familiar with the Clow Cards by now, and rarely used them, except when she was bored. Eriol had even taken away Sakura and Tomoyo's jobs, and treated them like his special guests. Being a guest wasn't necessarily good, the two girls found out. It was really boring. All day, the only thing they did and were able to do was to sit, and talk. (This excludes eating, breathing and sleeping, which are required for a person to live.)  
  
Often, Sakura would use the flower cards to create flowers. Since Tomoyo loved to draw Sakura so much, Sakura sometimes made a lot so that Tomoyo could draw her with flowers in the background. After a time, even this got boring. Especially for Sakura, who had to stay in the same pose for a long time, just so that Tomoyo could finish her drawing.  
  
This afternoon, the girls were in Sakura's room, sitting and having nothing to do. Suddenly, Tomoyo's eyes lit up. She had a wonderful idea. "Sakura," she said, to get Sakura's attention. "I know, I'll make some gowns for you!" Saying this, Tomoyo began jumping around the room feverishly, shrieking. To anyone who didn't hear what she was saying, they would have thought that someone was in distress. Luckily, the guards outside made some sense of the speech, and ordered a maid to get some materials.  
  
By the time Tomoyo calmed down enough to go to the door to ask for some material, the materials came to her. Before Sakura could even mutter a "hoe", Tomoyo already set to measuring her with pieces of string. [AN: Let's just say they didn't have rulers and stuff like that back then.]  
  
And so the day went on...  
  
^*^*^*^*^*^*^ That Same Night ^*^*^*^*^*^*^  
  
Sakura was still bored. In fact, so bored, and so full of energy, that she couldn't sleep. Tomoyo was in her own little corner, muttering to herself as she continued to make Sakura's gown.  
  
Sakura sighed. So maybe this is what living like a noble would be like. I mean, if my... father's kingdom was still here, I'd be a princess. Oh, why does a noble have to lead such a dull life? Sakura continued to think about her state. She had no choice but to stay, since her father and brother's safety completely relied on Eriol. If she left, she would have nowhere to go anyway.  
  
Suddenly, Sakura looked towards the window. Just like that night a few weeks ago, a shadow ran cross the wall of the room. A figure had passed her window. It definitely wasn't just a bird. According to Eriol, not a single creature lived in the woods. As Sakura got up, Tomoyo followed suit. Apparently, she saw the shadow too.  
  
"Oh Sakura!" she shrieked, thought careful to keep her voice down. "This is so cool. And look-- I just finished a costume for you to wear! You HAVE TO try this on."  
  
Confused, Sakura allowed Tomoyo to persuade her to put on the costume. The costume was purely Tomoyo's design, and completely out of this time period. It was a pink skirt that went down to Sakura's knees, and a white tank top, with matching hair ribbons, and boots to go along.  
  
Sakura almost fainted when she looked down at herself. "Tomoyo, isn't this a bit too exposed?" she whined, wanting so badly to get out of her costume.  
  
Tomoyo looked over her own masterpiece. "Of course not, Sakura. You look so pretty! Hold on, I have to draw you in this." Sakura knew she didn't have the time to stand around and pose, so she grabbed the Clow Cards, and proceeded to the window. Meanwhile, Tomoyo woke up Kero, who flew towards his mistress.  
  
"Key of the Star,  
  
With powers burning bright,  
  
Reveal the staff,  
  
And shine your light.  
  
Release!"  
  
In an instant, Sakura had her staff in her hand. "Fly!" she called, as she disappeared out the window. Just as she vanished, another shadow crept across the room, and out the door.  
  
^*^*^*^*^*^*^ Outside ^*^*^*^*^*^*^  
  
Sakura didn't bother to fly around this time. Skillfully, she landed on the roof next to a nearby tower. In fact, the one where she found the Clow Book. The night air was chilly, and Sakura shuddered. Leave the costumes to Tomoyo. she thought sarcastically. It was Tomoyo's fault she was here, freezing to death in the first place. Of course, Sakura wasn't mad.  
  
Kero became impatient after a while. "Sakura, you think you can locate the person with your magic? He should have an aura, you know, since he was able to turn his sword into a pendent the last time."  
  
Sakura looked at the little figure beside her. "Kero, we're not even sure if it's the same person! Besides, Eriol said that there were many people out there who wanted the Clow Cards." Kero ignored her, and continued to scrutinize the castle grounds for anything. Somehow, he couldn't concentrate. His mind was on the big, huge, bowl of pudding Tomoyo promised him. (Otherwise he'd still be asleep right now.)  
  
Out of nowhere, the expected thief appeared behind them. Now sakura was trapped on the edge of the roof. Pulling out a card, Sakura yelled, "Jump!" Little wings grew on her feet, and she landed smoothly on another rooftop. Luckily, this one was bigger -- way bigger.  
  
Syaoran (Sakura doesn't know it's him, in case you forgot) jumped after Sakura, and landed across from her. Sakura was surprised that he was able to land so well. Breathing in deeply, she pulled out the sword card, ready to fight.  
  
Syaoran didn't bother with his martial arts today. Nah, he wanted to use some magic. Taking out an [AN: seriously, I need to know what those things are called. Ok, I know this is laughable, but still, I'm completely stupid when it comes to these things, ok? Just someone help me!!!] --(blah, blah)-- , he touched his sword against it.  
  
"  
  
" he yelled. A bolt of lightning came out of nowhere, and aimed itself at Sakura. Sakura jumped to avoid being hit. Unfortunately, she forgot to call back the jump card, so she fell right off the roof. Syaoran feel proud. Proud - but not happy. So now the mistress should be dead, or half-dead. It'll be easier to get the cards this way.  
  
Looking over the edge, Syaoran saw Sakura on top of Tomoyo, who she fell on. Whacking himself on the head, Syaoran sighed an exasperated sigh. In doing this, he accidentally removed the black cloth covering his face. Not hidden anymore in the shadows, Sakura saw the person's eyes. They were amber.  
  
  
  
Ooooo.... so will Sakura EVER figure out who the 'thief' is? Hmm... I have to think about that. She'll find out either at the end, or somewhere in the next chapter.  
  
Oh, and I mean it when I say that I need help with the thingy that Syaoran uses. What were they called again? I think it was ofu- something or other. Please help! I know this is not the first time, but I really need to know. And again, thank you to all those who helped last time and last-last time!  
  
~KawaiiSakuraAngel~ Please review! This chapter is so much longer than the other ones, and it took me a long time to write. Tell me what you think! 


	13. A Boring Day, a Letter, and a Fire

AN: Well, here's another chapter!  
  
As usual, I thank everyone who reviewed! Especially Azure Rosas! You said you'd read this and you did! You're soooooo nice! Oh, by the way, thanks for the suggestions!  
  
DISCLAIMER: Seriously... do we HAVE TO put these things here? Ok, alright, I don't own CCS.  
  
".."=talking ..=thinking ^*^*^*^*=change of setting [AN.]=Author's Notes  
  
  
  
Friend or Foe, by KawaiiSakuraAngel... Chapter Thirteen:  
  
  
  
^*^*^*^*^*^*^ The Next Day ^*^*^*^*^*^*^  
  
I wish today could have been just a boring day, like *always.* Sakura thought for the first time. Tomoyo, as usual (when she's excited), was ranting on and on. Sakura did her best to stop from rolling her eyes. It wasn't something she'd usually do, but Tomoyo had been talking for a long time now, from sunrise till noon.  
  
Sighing, Sakura got up and stretched. Her back hurt from the fall yesterday. Tomoyo didn't notice, and continued. "Oh, and Sakura, it was SO amazing to watch you fight up on the roof! And my costume looked so cute on you! And do you know who that person was? They know magic, right?" Tomoyo went on and on. Sakura sighed again, and tried to explain once and again that she didn't even fight yesterday. The only thing she did was jump off a roof, and Tomoyo's costume was too cold to wear during the night.  
  
Sakura shuddered at the thought. Yesterday was quite chilly, and wearing such a short.. gown just wasn't right. [AN: they didn't exactly have skirts back then.] Glancing back at Tomoyo, Sakura noticed her making another one of her 'creations'. Groaning, Sakura winced at the thought of something else like the outfit from yesterday.  
  
Then again, Sakura's mind wondered to her own thoughts again, blocking out Tomoyo's comments, which often interrupted her thinking. She recalled last night, during her brief 'meeting' with the thief. It seems that it was the same one. The sword and the green aura were the same. This time, she saw a bit of his features: He had amber eyes. But that was all Sakura could catch before he leapt out of sight again, like the first time.  
  
Was the person trying to give her some clues on who he was? Or were they clumsy, just like herself? No matter how much Sakura thought about it, every possible answer just leads to another one. Finally, the only thing that would make sense to her was the question: who was he?  
  
  
  
^*^*^*^*^*^*^ Meanwhile, With Syaoran ^*^*^*^*^*^*^  
  
Syaoran felt disgusted at himself. Well, at least this time, he hadn't run away. But that was no excuse for not getting the Clow Cards. He had never taken so long on a mission before. Before he could stare out the window for long, something caught his eye. It was just a bird, he thought at first. As the figure got closer, it became obvious it wasn't your average, cute little singing bird. It was one of those huge vulture-like birds his mother owned. [Let's just say she does....]  
  
Syaoran sighed in exasperation. She could have chosen one of the better- trained ones. This one was definitely an amateur, and that means it probably wouldn't be able to come into his room. The better-trained ones were able to use a bit of magic to shrink themselves. The bird-creature flew wobbly over to his window. At least the thing can recognize to whom it's delivering the letter, Syaoran thought too early.  
  
When the 'thing' was just a few feet away from Syaoran's window, it swerved to the right, landing right on -  
  
Eriol's study's window!  
  
Syaoran groaned. Now everything was going to be ruined. Eriol probably already knew, but if his mother was plotting something... then it would be completely absurd for her to have chosen THAT to deliver a message. Almost right then, there was a soft knocking on his door. Hesitantly, Syaoran struggled to reach the door. His arm just wouldn't listen. Finally, he slowly took in a big breath, and opened the door.  
  
In the doorway stood one of Eriol's guards [FYI: Syaoran is his secretary and advisor, not guard.] Knowing what the guard was going to say, Syaoran brushed past him, and headed for Eriol's study. Opening the door, he moved sluggishly into the room. Rolling his eyes first, he looked at Eriol. "What?" he asked, already knowing the answer. But he still needed to know what was in the note.  
  
Eriol looked at him, then shook his head disapprovingly. During the whole time Syaoran was here, it was just his second time he had seen a serious expression on Eriol's face. Syaoran didn't want to look in the eyes. It was just a feeling, but he knew he would regret it if he did. His eyes landed on the window. There was that stupid bird, flying back towards his home -- the home before he came here.  
  
At the thought, Syaoran was surprised. His 'old' home wasn't the 'home' he always thought it was anymore. Instead, a picture of Eriol's castle replaced the Li - formerly Kinomoto - one. Syaoran didn't understand, but he never had the time to figure it out.  
  
"Li," Eriol said. Syaoran was really surprised now. The last time Eriol was mad, he had still called him 'Syaoran'. But now he simply said 'Li'. It was needless to say that this conversation was going to be VERY serious. Not a hint of the usual, smirking Eriol remained on his face. It was hard to believe they were the same person. [Anyway, let's keep going.] Eriol continued, while throwing 'the note' at Syaoran.  
  
Just looking at the note made Syaoran almost flinch. He had always stayed by his mother, so he knew almost everything about her. That would include her handwriting. Strangely, his mother's handwriting has a slight variation, which depends on her mood. Merely a small glance, and he could tell how angry his mother was. Eriol didn't seem to notice, or at least he didn't make a comment. "THIS," Eriol said, indicating the note, "was from you mother. Go on, open it."  
  
Syaoran picked the note up carefully, as if he might actually be scared of it. Getting a grip on himself, again for the second time that day, he opened it, and pulled out the contents. It consisted of a pretty short paragraph. Well, short for his mother anyway. The boy shut his eyes for a moment, then proceeded to reading the note:  
  
~Xiaolang:  
  
How many times did I tell you to write to me before you left? You made me look shameful to the clan/kingdom. Read carefully, and memorize everything you must do. If ONE step goes wrong, I will PERSONALLY make sure you are exiled. It's been two seasons already. The longest it ever took you to do a mission was in 10 days. What is wrong with you? As soon as you get this note and finish reading, reply. That's an order! Ok... these are the things you need to do:  
  
1) Make sure you get the card before the cad mistress does. If she already has it, then follow the steps below.  
  
2) If you can't get the cards, make sure you try everything to stop the mistress from transforming the cards. If she has, well then forget I even wrote this.  
  
3) If your answer to the one above is that she has already transformed the cards, KILL HER. Or else, ignore this.  
  
4) If you can't do ANY of the above, I will make sure that you are most definitely exiled.  
  
-Yelan~  
  
Syaoran was horrified. It was impossible for his mother to say that. She wanted him to kill the card mistress? Then, thinking back, he remembered something. She had told him that, whatever he must do, to do it before he regrets. Now he understood why. He had waited too long in trying to get the Clow Cards, and now it was impossible for him to kill Sa- Kinomoto, and his mother knew. Tears of frustration welled up in Syaoran's eyes. Quickly, he blinked them away.  
  
Eriol was looking outside the window, apparently waiting for him to finish. Syaoran took no heed, and walked back to his room. As soon as he got there, he fell back against his door. His legs were too weak to support him. 'Kill' was not exactly the word he expected, although it was considered 'required' in his mission. Never, in any of his other missions, did he have to kill anyone. At the most, he had left them with a few broken bones; nothing you can't fix.  
  
Now, for the first time, his mother was TELLING him to kill someone. The idea swam around in his mind, unwilling to go away. HE was going to have to kill Sakura. No, not Sakura - Kinomoto. Why was he calling her Sakura anyway? Wasn't she his rival, and in a way, enemy?  
  
Racking his brain for an answer, Syaoran began pounding on his desk. As he did, he noticed another speck in the sky. As it grew, the figure revealed itself to be another on of his mother's birds, except that it was considerably smaller. It flew right through the open window, and dumped a letter right in front of his face. Blinking in confusion, Syaoran tore it open. It read:  
  
~Xiaolang:  
  
Just to inform you, the letter that ended up in King Hiiragizawa's room was completely false. What I really want you to do is to write me a letter, NOW. I need a reason for why you aren't finished yet. My point is, the Card MISTRESS is a GIRL. You should be able to beat her. Right now, the king might be foolishly putting metal bars on your window, but he'll never suspect that these birds can shrink. Reply, as soon as possible. If needed, I will have to go over and take care of her myself.  
  
- Yelan~  
  
Oh great... Syaoran thought. As if getting metal bars installed on his windows weren't enough, he has to reply to his mother. What would he say? Of course, to tell his mother that he had failed was the same thing as telling her to kill him. At least now he doesn't have to kill Sakura anymore. This point was as clear as a bright star that outshone all the others in the vast, open sky. Slowly, Syaoran began to write his reply.  
  
As soon as he was finished, he strode towards the bird, fastened the little parchment on its leg, and practically hurled it out the window. About twenty arm's lengths away, the bird regained its balance, and soared out into the darkening world outside the castle. Something stroke a match in Syaoran's brain. If the bird could make it out, he could too, right? Walking towards the window, Syaoran moved cautiously. Suddenly, a force knocked Syaoran away.  
  
Syaoran thought this over. He picked up a quill, and threw it out the window. It passed soundlessly. Moving towards the window again, Syaoran found himself pushed back for a second time. Growling, he cursed his luck. But maybe Hiiragizawa wasn't that smart after all. He didn't expect Syaoran to send a message by bird. Or supposedly, Eriol KNEW, but didn't show. After a long debate with himself, Syaoran ended up more confused than ever. Sighing, he decided to retire to bed.  
  
  
  
^*^*^*^*^*^*^ The Very Next Day ^*^*^*^*^*^*^  
  
Syaoran was bored out of his wits. All day, he had been sitting in his room with nothing to do. Once, just a little while after sunrise, a platter of food appeared on his desk. As soon as he finished eating, it disappeared. Nothing else happened at all. It was the most dreadful thing that could happen to someone-- to be bored, and also locked up-- but not to Syaoran, and of course, his books.  
  
He took this as an opportunity to practice his magic. He pulled out an ofuda with a spell on it, and touched it with his sword, which he had out. "Force, know my plight, the force ignite!" he yelled. Instantly, a blast of fire shot out. Forgetting the magic barrier, Syaoran was almost too slow in dodging the attack that was sent right back at him. The fire missed him, but it hit his table, which started a huge fire. At first, Syaoran thought about stopping it with a water ofuda. Then, thinking it over, he let it burn.  
  
~~ Eriol, Tomoyo, and Sakura smelled something burning. It was starting to fill the room they were in, so they began to crouch down low to the ground. In an instant, Eriol had then all teleported to outside the castle. Now, the only living thing left in the smoky prison was Syaoran. Sakura and Tomoyo noticed that he was missing.  
  
"Where's Li?" they asked at the same time, looking at Eriol for an explanation. Eriol had teleported everyone inside the castle to the outside, but Syaoran was not there.  
  
"Uh.." Eriol racked his head for an excuse. "Um, he must have ran off. I'll go look for him!" yelled Eriol as he zoomed away. Once he was far away, he teleported himself back to Syaoran's room. Glaring, Eriol expected an answer from the annoyingly stubborn teen in front of him. Syaoran said nothing, but smirked.  
  
For once, Eriol had a taste of his own medicine. He didn't mind, though. In fact, they almost had a smirking contest, but the smoke stopped them both. Crouched on the floor, Eriol just managed to choke out the words that removed the spell on the room, so that Syaoran can get out. Quickly, he transported them both to the other side of the castle, away from the girls.  
  
Now, looking at the burning mess, Syaoran was beginning to go frantic. All of his stuff was still in the castle! That includes his spell books, and other similar things: his lucky quill, and many things his sisters had given him, and much more. Eriol smirked whole-heartedly at Syaoran, who glared back. He KNEW, he KNEW, and he was laughing. Syaoran thought angrily. It isn't funny at all. IF Hiiragizawa decides to lock me up again, I wont' even have anything to read! The thought bore into his mind.  
  
Quickly, Syaoran decided that the worst thing that could happen to a person is to get locked up, with nothing to do. Now he was REALLY in a hurry to rescue his precious books and stuff. Eriol, reading Syaoran's mind (as usual) just rolled his eyes. Within a matter of seconds, all of Syaoran's stuff came crashing down on his head. Now that really hurt, especially when all his metal training weapons and armor were part of the mess.  
  
Syaoran sunk underneath the weight. Growling at Eriol the whole time, he lowered everything hanging onto him, and stalked away. If he could get away from Eriol, that would be better than staying around, even with his books. This is going to be one LONG half-a-day. [This happened at noon, remember?]  
  
  
  
SOOOOOOO how was it?!??!?!!?! PLEASE REVIEW!!!!!! Please? I beg all you kind reader who even read this!  
  
Thank you! (to those who review, that is)  
  
~KawaiiSakuraAngel~ 


	14. Syaoran's True Identity

AN: Whoa. that last chapter took SOOOOO long to type up. Well, I was 1) sort of on a writer's block, and 2) out of words to use. See, when you're writing, you can't always use the same words over and over. It gets annoying.  
  
As usual, I thank everyone who reviewed! I mean everyone! (Even those with the super-long reviews... but it's ok, I don't blame you for making it that long! ^._______.^)  
  
DISCLAIMER: Alright, just because everyone else does this... I don't own CCS. I hope you don't need me to repeat that.  
  
".."=talking ..=thinking ^*^*^*^*=change of setting [AN.]=Author's Notes  
  
  
  
Friend or Foe, by KawaiiSakuraAngel... Chapter Fourteen:  
  
Sakura was dragged along behind Tomoyo, who wanted to go check up on Syaoran - for Sakura's sake, of course. They haven't seen him for a pretty long time, and since he wasn't there yesterday, they were worried. Tomoyo was worried because she was afraid of the fact that she wouldn't have anyone to pair Sakura up with anymore.  
  
Finally, they arrived in front of his chamber door. [AN: they didn't know that the fire started in his room. Besides, Eriol fixed up all the damage, and made sure that Syaoran wouldn't start a fire again.] Tomoyo walked up boldly, and knocked on the door. Syaoran, who was cooped up inside, was surprised by the sound. When he recovered, he headed towards the door.  
  
Sakura and Tomoyo were waiting patiently outside. Or at least, Sakura was, in a nervous way. Tomoyo was beginning to get impatient. Sakura almost cowered behind her friend, for an unknown reason. Suddenly, they heard a loud crash. Well, not that loud, but loud enough to know that something was wrong.  
  
Inside the room, Syaoran was cursing his bad memory. Being bored and all, he completely forgot about Eriol's barrier against him as he tried to open the door. As a result, he was smashed against the door. To his horror, whoever it was outside heard the noise. As quickly as possible, he moved his books on the ground, scattered them, and pretended to be picking them up as he said loudly, "Come in!"  
  
The door opened to reveal Tomoyo. Or at least that's what he thought. Just as he was going to push her back out, Sakura stepped in behind her. Syaoran swallowed, and allowed his expression to soften just a tiny bit. Tomoyo smiled to herself. So he DID have feelings for Sakura. This was going to make her job a lot easier.  
  
"Konbawa, Li" [It's afternoon.] they chorused. Syaoran looked back, but didn't say anything. As his eyes fell on Sakura, she took a small step back, and lowered her glance. It was unlike herself to be shy, but she had been like this ever since Tomoyo brought up the suggestion to come see Syaoran.  
  
Sakura's movement startled Syaoran, but he didn't let it show. He knew all too well to show any expressions at all while Tomoyo around. The last time he did, he was chased around by her, asking him a trail of questions about his feelings for Sakura. No matter how he declined, she always had a comeback. He was smart - he learned. Syaoran didn't think that he was doing anything, but Tomoyo caught him staring at Sakura.  
  
Making a big movement with one of her arms, she caught Syaoran's attention. Silently, she mouthed a "ha ha ha" at him. Syaoran immediately turned bright red. It just so happens that Sakura took this time to raise her head. Sakura stared - literally - at Syaoran's face, making him turn even a darker shade of red.  
  
Sakura continued to stare at him as she placed a hand on his forehead. Just this tiny little movement, and Syaoran felt like his head was going to explode. "Syaoran, are you sick? You look like you have a fever," she commented. Syaoran strained to keep from fainting. Tomoyo didn't want the kawaii moment to end with a simple answer, so she gently pushed Sakura, making her almost fall over Syaoran. Unable to help himself, Syaoran fell to the ground with a sickening thud.  
  
  
  
^*^*^*^*^*^*^ Some Time After Sunset ^*^*^*^*^*^*^  
  
Syaoran woke up to see two pairs of eyes staring down at him. Luckily, none of them were Hiiragizawa's. But they were oddly familiar. Syaoran's eyes widened as he recognized the ones blinking curiously down at him - they were Sakura's. His heart skipped a beat. This is a dream, he thought. This can't be real.  
  
Wait - something is wrong. This is not the first time he had caught himself thinking about her. What was wrong with him? He can't really like her, can he? Sighing, Syaoran opened his eyes wider, to show that he was okay.  
  
Sakura turned to grin at Tomoyo. "He's awake, Tomoyo!" Then, turning back to the boy on the bed, she asked, "Why'd you faint? You seemed perfectly fine. Oh, and Tomoyo checked, and you didn't have a fever either."  
  
Syaoran was trying to think up a good answer when he heard a small snicker, as of someone hiding a laugh. Looking around the room, he didn't see Hiiragizawa anywhere. Finally, he found the solution to his problem - Tomoyo. Tomoyo had the same expression that Eriol had on the other day in the forest, except that she wasn't actually laughing, but close enough. Unfortunately, Syaoran also found out that Tomoyo wasn't afraid of his glare, just like Eriol. This means that he'll have another Hiiragizawa running around all over the place.  
  
Sakura, however, didn't notice the attempts Tomoyo made to stop herself from laughing. She was waiting for Syaoran's answer. Finally, Syaoran calmed himself enough to speak. "Well, I .. uh.. I don't know, actually," he said, scratching the back of his head sheepishly.  
  
Tomoyo and Sakura 'fell' (anime style). Tomoyo, because she knew the answer. Sakura, because it took him such a long time to just give a simple answer. Tomoyo sighed an exasperated sigh, then leaned over and whispered something in Syaoran's ear. Instantly, Syaoran turned red. In fact, almost purple from all the blood rushing to his face. Tomoyo again tried to keep a calm expression while watching Syaoran's face turn a darker shade of red every second. That's when she realized that Sakura wasn't with them anymore.  
  
"Hey," she asked, "where'd Sakura go?" Glancing around, neither Tomoyo nor Syaoran could find Sakura. Finally, Tomoyo spotted her on the ground, fast asleep. "Whoa..." she muttered. Sakura was probably tired from the battle yesterday, and the fire today. Not just tired - more like exhausted. While Tomoyo looked at Sakura with concern, Syaoran look at her with uncertainty.  
  
  
  
^*^*^*^*^*^*^ Three Days Later ^*^*^*^*^*^*^  
  
By now, Tomoyo and Sakura visited Syaoran daily, almost like a routine. Syaoran was no longer that embarrassed when Sakura came into his room, but still tensed up when she got too close. It was a funny feeling. Whenever she was away, he'd wish that she was next to him. When she was talking to him, he would wish that she was somewhere away, so that he wouldn't make a fool of himself in front of her. This became more of a concept when Tomoyo apparently became the 'official' matchmaker for the two.  
  
Syaoran wouldn't have minded being paired up with Sakura, but Tomoyo over did everything. Sakura, to Syaoran's relief, didn't notice how Tomoyo acted strangely whenever they were together. That was about the only thing he could be happy knowing. Now, not only has he failed to do his mission, he is beginning to like the Card Mistress.  
  
Today, Eriol had to go to some far away place, so the shield around Syaoran's room was weak. Taking this opportunity, Syaoran broke out of his jail. The first thought on his mind was to go and see Sakura. If anyone in the Li Kingdom knew, they would be VERY disappointed in him, even if Sakura wasn't the Card Mistress. The first thing that really should be on his mind should be: 1) Running away and bringing back an army to retrieve the cards. 2) Finding the mistress and getting the cards.  
  
But that wasn't true for Syaoran, and he didn't care. As it turns out, as soon as he reached Sakura's room, he stepped right into a trap. Two feet in front of the door, Eriol had put a magical barrier, and Syaoran ran right into it. As he passed the 'line', a force surrounded him, and took him straight to Eriol's study.  
  
Syaoran almost yelped as he was dumped onto the harsh cold floor. And who could be there to see him but his majesty, the king himself. Syaoran rolled his eyes. "I thought you were going OUT of town today?" he asked impatiently. Eriol continued to gaze at him in the same way. Syaoran was beginning to think that something was wrong with Eriol's brain.  
  
Suddenly, Eriol turned his head, as if snapping out of a trance. Then he noticed Syaoran. "I was doing something IMPORTANT," he stated angrily. "But now, I just found out something more important. Answering Syaoran's question, he concluded, "You're going back to your own kingdom."  
  
Syaoran stared. "WHAT?!?!!?? Says who?" he asked  
  
Eriol gave him a skeptical look. "Says ME," he replied simply.  
  
"Well, I guess you're not very talkative today," commented Syaoran. And on a side note, he muttered, "Well, if it isn't Hiiragizawa the serious king."  
  
Eriol seemed to be very ignorant as he continued to sit in silence. Finally, after a long time of being quiet, Eriol spoke. "Xiaolang, I am in fact, very disappointed at you. I thought you might have changed your mind about the Clow Cards. I guess your mind is still on your mission."  
  
Syaoran was taken aback. "Actually.." he managed to stutter before Eriol interrupted him.  
  
"Well, there can't be any other reason you were heading for Sakura's room right after you broke the barrier, can there?" Again, Syaoran was about to talk, but Eriol continued. "I guess I have no choice but to reveal to Sakura who you really are."  
  
Apparently, Eriol didn't read Syaoran's mind. That was the main reason what he said was wrong. He had jumped to conclusions without thinking clearly. Syaoran was actually annoyed. Pointing a finger at Eriol, Syaoran started to say, "Why you little - " But he stopped mid-sentence. He needed to think of the right thing to say. Standing perfectly still, Syaoran thought of some ideas. Finally, Syaoran thought up a good insult.  
  
The amber-eyed boy lifted his leg to stomp over to Eriol. Only thing was, his leg refused to move. His arms wouldn't move, either. Everything but his face was frozen. "Hiiragizawa! What have you done to me?" he asked. It wasn't the first time that Eriol had done something to him. It was obvious, since the 'great' magician was the only one that knew magic here, in the study. The only thing Syaoran could wish for was that he wouldn't be shipped back to the Li Kingdom as a statue.  
  
Eriol calmly walked into a little room in the back of the study. Syaoran impatiently waited. At least it wasn't tiring to keep his arm in that position. The only sounds that could be heard were Syaoran's grumbles and curses at Eriol, and the usual sound of the guards outside the room. All of a sudden, the clanking noise of the armors stopped, and there was a muffled talking coming form the other side of the door, in the hallway. There was a familiar aura there- Sakura.  
  
In a moment, Sakura and Tomoyo came in. Syaoran groaned. Eriol had meant it when he said telling Sakura who he really was. Syaoran shut his eyes, wishing he didn't know the outcome of this soon-to-be conversation. Of course, the result was obvious- Sakura would be VERY mad that he tricked her, and he'd be sent back to the Li Kingdom, just to be exiled by his mother.  
  
Sakura and Tomoyo looked around the room, but didn't spot anything distinguishable as a living thing. "I wonder why Eriol told us to come, if he's not here himself," Syaoran heard Sakura say. A shiver ran up his spine when she said 'Eriol'. So they called him by his first name. And yet she still calls me Li. But then again, Syaoran was the one who told them to call him Li.  
  
"Because he's stupid," Syaoran said, replying to Sakura's statement. There was a loud shriek, and then, just loud enough to hear, someone mumbling about how much they hated ghosts. Syaoran snickered. He could keep this up. Clearing his throat, Syaoran was about to turn to the two and scare them, but remembered that he was still frozen.  
  
He grumbled. Eriol was smart to do this to him. But unfortunately (for Eriol), Syaoran still had the ability to talk. That means that he'll have time to tell the girls before Eriol can say anything. He was beginning to make a habit of this. First, he stalled too long in getting the cards, and now he's done it again, he realized, as Eriol walked into the room.  
  
Syaoran gulped nervously as Eriol prepared to inform Sakura of his true identity...  
  
  
  
  
  
YAY!!!!! Another chapter! I'm soooooo glad I finished this. *finally* So.. I hope you guys enjoyed reading this! If you didn't, well, whatever you do, don't flame me! Hehe...  
  
And to Azure Rosas: Do you think I should use your suggestion? (go read my bio.)  
  
I don't think I'll be able to update that soon, but keep checking!  
  
~KawaiiSakuraAngel~ 


	15. Runaway

AN: You know what? I have really horrible luck. I can't believe I couldn't even find the time to type this up!!! I'm so sorry, everyone!!  
  
Not to mention... I have some stuff in writer's workshop at school. That means that I'm writing another short story IN school. And THAT means that I can't update that much anymore. (You see, I could just turn in the fic, but then I'd have to finish it very soon, because we need to complete all our work.) The point is, I will be updating less often.  
  
Well, enough of that... I thank everyone who reviewed! (again..) Oh, and I was wondering.. what does AU mean? All these people are like, "This is an AU fic" ya-di-da. But what does that mean? *scratches head*  
  
DISCLAIMER: Ok, I don't own CCS. So what?  
  
".."=talking ..=thinking ^*^*^*^*=change of setting [AN.]=Author's Notes  
  
  
  
Friend or Foe, by KawaiiSakuraAngel... Chapter Fifteen:  
  
^*^*^*^*^*^*^ In Syaoran's POV ^*^*^*^*^*^*^  
  
I winced as Eriol began my story. My story as in the story of my life for the last half-year. He told about how I came, how he recognized me, how I had once tried to contact my mother. Sakura and Tomoyo gasped every now and then, as if they couldn't believe that I was the prince of the Li Kingdom.  
  
I fought to make myself talk. I mean, for now, it's the only thing I can do anyway. But I couldn't. I was too ashamed of myself to even make a noise at all. If I did, I'd have to tell them everything myself. It was easier to just hear Hiiragizawa talk. That way, I won't have to see Sakura's sad and angry face. I actually glad my back is facing her instead of my face. I must be so pale.  
  
"...Syaoran." My ears perked up, hearing my name being said by Sakura. I was anxious to hear what she had to say. But then, I didn't want to hear it. If I heard it, I'd feel so full of self-pity. I can feel tears trying to make their way to my eyes. Shutting my eyes tightly, I held them back, for if they fell, I wouldn't be able to wipe them.  
  
Stopping the flow of thoughts in my head, I focused on what the three of them were saying. Wait... now there's 5 people. Four of them know magic (the other one is Tomoyo). The two new auras were familiar. Distinctly, I recalled that first day I met Hiiragizawa. Ah, yes, I remember now. The two were Hiiragizawa's guardians, just like Keroberos. Funny how Keroberos isn't with them. He usually follows wherever his mistress goes. I forced myself to give up thinking to myself. I already missed quite a bit of the conversation I was planning on listening to...  
  
"..he's right over there." I heard Hiiragizawa state. I was confused. What was over where? I don't see how-"AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!" I yelled as I was pushed over. Apparently, someone had run into me. Now I really despise the position I'm in at the moment: I was pushed from the back, so forward I fell, until I landed on my finger. Curse that Hiiragizawa. Now look at what's he's done! I'm balanced on one finger and my toes. It's a really uncomfortable position, considering the fact that I still couldn't' move.  
  
POOF! Ouch.. my finger probably broke because of that. Hiiragizawa really has bad timing. Sure! Just choose a time to let me move when it's the most inconvenient for me! But that wasn't what was bothering me-- it was something else. As I looked around, I noticed that everyone's eyes were now on me. I shuddered. Under their gaze, the room suddenly seemed sold and VERY unwelcome. Twitching nervously, I got up, and put on my best smile. "So, uh, what's going on? Anyone care to fill me in?" I managed to squeak (the best I can do at the moment) in the best tone I could.  
  
Nobody seemed to be in the mood to talk. I tried again. "Um.. well?" I asked, hoping that no one would suspect me. Eriol glanced at me disapprovingly, then rolled his eyes and turned away. The others weren't much comfort, either. Sakura wasn't even facing me, and Tomoyo was trying her best to comfort the poor girl. Suppi and Ruby Moon (in their true forms) were exact copies of Eriol as they rolled their eyes also and turned their backs on me. I was left just standing there. The only noises that could be heard in the room were Tomoyo's soothing words, and Sakura's light sobs. It hurt to know that I was the one who made her cry.  
  
Sneaking towards the closest wall, I sat on the ground and leaned against it. I sighed. Instantly, fours pairs of eyes were glaring at me, like I didn't have the privilege to make any noise at all. The one person who didn't glare was Sakura, who still had her face covered with her hands. Quickly, she ran out of the room, Tomoyo trailing behind her. Now it felt worse to be alone with Hiiragizawa and his guardians. Well, on the account that he was 'half' my ancestor, he wouldn't hurt me, right? I kept my head down so that I didn't have to look at the three of them, but I can feel their glances trying to melt off the top of my head. That's what it felt like to me, anyway. I can hear them approach me, towering over me. Hiiragizawa didn't move from his place behind the desk.  
  
I felt jaws clamp on my clothes, and jerk me up to my feet. I still kept my head down. Nothing happened for a while, so I allowed myself to slide back down into my old sitting position. Again, I was hauled up. Looking ahead (but not up), I saw where the door was. In just a few strides, I can be out the door. I decided to go for it. Pushing past the two guardians, I would have gotten out of the room, if Hiiragizawa didn't use a spell on me. Suddenly, everything went black.  
  
*-*-*-*  
  
I woke up to find myself in a carriage- and not a good one, either. My head felt dizzy, and I was forced to lie back down. After a while, I was finally able to sit up. I stuck my head out the window. "Hey! You! Driver!" I shouted to get the driver's attention. Slowly, the carriage came to a stop. I stepped out of the rotten structure.  
  
The driver got out of the seat. He seemed to be a bit surprised. "Wow.. you got up earlier than expected." There was amusement in his voice. "You are probably the only person who could wake from Master Hiiragizawa's spell so fast."  
  
I scowled. The driver shrugged, climbed back on the carriage, and drove away. I turned around to study my surroundings, but instantly knew that there was no need to- I was back in the Li Kingdom, right in front of the castle. The butler, Wei, saw me and pulled me in.  
  
"What are you doing out there? It's cold." Wei pretended not to notice the look on my face.  
  
"I need to go back." I said stubbornly. "NOW." I clenched my fists in anger. Grabbing the closest vase, I hurled it at the wall; it shattered with a deafening sound. Wei immediately set to cleaning it up.  
  
"What is all this noise?" demanded a voice I knew all too well. It was mother, walking down the stairs. It was too late to hide or make a run for the door, so I stood there. Within a few seconds, my sisters were downstairs as well, and I was buried under their hugs and comments about their 'cute' little brother. Soon after that, they were sent away by mother. "So I see you've come back."  
  
I tried to avoid her eyes. "Hi, mother." I clamped my mouth shut after the greeting. It would be better if I didn't' say anything until asked. Sometimes admitting mistakes made no difference to mother, especially when it's a matter this big.  
  
She looked down her nose at me. I remained silent. "Alright, you may go up to your room. I want a through explanation TOMORROW, and no later!"  
  
Wei walked towards me. "I think her majesty is expecting a surprise gift from you," he commented dryly. "I'll prepare your horse, so you may leave as soon as possible." I nodded, and breathed a sigh of relief.  
  
^*^*^*^*^*^*^ With Sakura (3rd Person) ^*^*^*^*^*^*^  
  
Tomoyo caught up to Sakura outside. Silently, they walked towards Sakura's bed chamber. Tomoyo glanced worriedly at her sobbing friend. No matter what she did, Sakura wouldn't cheer up. Finally, after they reached her room, she began to talk.  
  
"I never really had friends in my village. Everyone laughed at me because I didn't have a mother or father. And then, when I came here-" Sakura stopped to take a deep breath "- I finally met some real friends: you, Eriol, Kero, and more. And I always thought of Li as a friend... and he was actually the one who was trying to kill me." At this, Sakura began crying all over again.  
  
Tomoyo got up. "Hold on, Sakura. I'll be back in a moment." Without another word, she walked back towards Eriol's study. Upon reaching the door, she heard a loud 'bang' (the sound of Syaoran being transported) . Tomoyo stuck her head inside. "What's the matter?"  
  
Every pair of eyes were fixed on her. Eriol looked away first. "Nothing. Why'd you come?"  
  
Tomoyo shrugged. "I don't know. I'm just looking for a certain person so that I can yell at them for hurting Sakura," she answered.  
  
Eriol was surprised. Tomoyo never sounded like this before. He cleared his throat. "Well, that person you're looking for is already out--"  
  
"No he isn't." Tomoyo's eyes wandered to the window, anyway. "He's right in front of me."  
  
Eriol pointed at himself. "Who? Me? I didn't do anything!" Eriol looked back into the events that happened earlier. "Seriously, I didn't!"  
  
Tomoyo looked at him. "Oh yes you did," she said accusingly. Before Eriol could reply, she continued, "Things were just FINE without your little story about Syaoran's life."  
  
Ruby Moon was curious about Tomoyo's approach. "Oh really? How? I think that it was very smart of Master Eriol to tell Sakura. Her life could be in danger right now." Suppi nodded in agreement.  
  
Tomoyo didn't even acknowledge their presence. "In case you didn't know, there was a possibility that Syaoran would decide to leave Sakura alone, in terms of the Sakura Cards. As even any BLIND person can see, he's actually really beginning to like her. Oh well, I guess you guys will never understand." With that, Tomoyo walked back out.  
  
Eriol stared after her. Muttering to himself, he tried to find the logic in what she said.  
  
^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^  
  
Syaoran kept looking over his shoulder. His horse was a young one, and not used to running long distances. Every one in a while, they had to stop to take a break. With these stops, Syaoran was afraid that his mother would find out that he ran away, and come after him. Syaoran groaned as he felt the horse begin to slow its pace again. "Fine, fine," he muttered. Sighing in impatient and nervousness, he jumped off.  
  
This is a half-barren land! he thought. With this kind of landscape, there won't be any place to hide if she really sends people out to get me. Syaoran looked back at the horse. It seemed fine, but as he got closer, he could tell that the horse wasn't going to be able to go any further. The map imprinted in his mind said that there was a town nearby, judging by the distance they've gone. He had been there many times before with his family.  
  
Before long, Syaoran had a strong pony's reins in his hand. It was a pony, but it was also much stronger. He would have preferred one of the best horses in his kingdom, but that was fairly impossible. Looking back over his shoulder again, he started off full speed towards Eriol's castle.  
  
  
  
Meanwhile, in the Li's castle, Yelan was pacing in her room, very anxious. Xiaolang had been gone for a while, and his aura was not to found. Yelan decided to let the matter drop. I should be congratulating Xiaolang for a job well done. At the thought of the 'Clow' Cards, she nearly smiled.  
  
  
  
  
  
Ok... I hope everyone read the stuff at the beginning, because I'm not repeating all of that. Anyway, I thought you'd like to know why I'm not updating much. Also, I'll probably only be updating the other one (If anyone read it) when I type it up. And that's gonna be 10000 years later, so... yeah...  
  
Oh well.. I know that this is 'short' (long for me) and stupid. (I know everyone agrees with that.) ^.^  
  
~*KawaiiSakuraAngel*~ 


	16. Extra, Extra! Extra little chapter

AN: Sigh.. All of you should know by now that I can't update too often. So.. don't expect me to.  
  
Thank you, reviewers!!  
  
DISCLAIMER: CCS is not mine, as you all know.  
  
".."=talking ..=thinking ^*^*^*^*=change of setting [AN.]=Author's Notes  
  
  
  
Friend or Foe, by KawaiiSakuraAngel... Chapter Sixteen:  
  
^*^*^*^*^*^*^ The Li Kingdom ^*^*^*^*^*^*^  
  
The next morning, Yelan got up earlier than usual. She had been looking forward to this day for a long time, even before her husband's death. At first, she thought that they would get it from the Kinomoto Kingdom, but her husband died, and the king disappeared. She looked down at the reply Syaoran wrote a month ago. He said that he felt the power of the cards, and will stop the mistress as soon as possible. This time, she smiled for real. Not a warm smile, but a triumphant smile. She will see Syaoran later. First, she will head to the temple to pray.  
  
When she reached the temple, she kneeled before the Buddha statue, her hands clasped together. She first addressed her husband, and told him of the great deed his son did. (AN: In case you readers didn't know.. there IS a heaven sorta thing in Buddhism, and they believe that their relatives and such 'above' will look after them. Just in case... and it's the truth.)  
  
Next, she prayed to GuanYin, and thanked her for answering her prayers. She finally had the Clow Cards in her grasp. She smiled, and walked out. She was in such a good mood that she even said 'hi' to the monks she passed, and practically waltzed to her room. All the servants that saw her thought they were hallucinating.  
  
For the whole morning, Yelan made sure that she looked perfect in every aspect, so that when she presents the cards to the elders, they would be proud, and she wouldn't look like a 'fragile woman' to them. The elders have always opposed her ruling the kingdom, even if her husband was gone, and her only son was too young. She's going to show them a thing or two.  
  
Syaoran didn't show up for breakfast, which he rarely did anyway, so Yelan let that slip. When he didn't show up for lunch, she became worried, and called Wei to her. "You saw him last. Where did he go?"  
  
Wei knew who she was talking about, but pretended to be dumb. "Who, your majesty?"  
  
Yelan knew he was pretending, and began to get annoyed. "The PRINCE, Wei, the prince. You saw him last yesterday. I felt his aura leave the castle. Where did he go?" She gritted her teeth angrily, to keep herself from ordering Wei to be punished. He was the most humble and loyal servant around, and it would be a pity to kill him.  
  
Wei was well prepared to answer. "You Majesty, the prince said that he wished to go for a ride yesterday, and told me to prepare a horse. He would not let me follow him, even when I asked. Is something the matter?"  
  
Yelan sighed. "He's still not back. I think you would know that. I want to go down to the stables." Wei bowed as Yelan got up...  
  
Yelan looked around the stable. "Syaoran's horse is here," she pointed out. She counted the horses. "How many new horses did you bring in last week?"  
  
Wei replied, "Fourteen, your Majesty." The truth was fifteen, but Wei knew he had to trick the queen. The matriarch nodded, then walked away. She knew there was something wrong. All the horses were accounted for (as she believes) and yet, Syaoran was nowhere to be found.  
  
^*^*^*^*^*^*^ Hiiragizawa Kingdom ^*^*^*^*^*^*^  
  
Eriol was in a bad mood, so he decided to go for a ride. Wearing a (rich) peasant's clothes, he set out of the castle on his horse. He can take this time to find out more about his kingdom. He checked the inside of his jacket, where he hid his money. Making sure he brought some, he rode into the marketplace.  
  
In the marketplace, it was so cramped that Eriol had to get off his horse and walk. Ahead of him, a little boy was being chased by his father. The father was apparently spanking the boy, as he had a broom in his hand. (AN: You know, one of the shorter ones.) The little boy spotted Eriol, and hid behind him, clutching his jacket tightly. The father ran over, and the boy continued to use Eriol as a shield. The father cursed, and tried to run around Eriol. The little boy started running again, disappearing into the crowd.  
  
Eriol chuckled to himself. Things were just fine in the kingdom, he thought happily. He sat down in a small inn to have a drink of water. The waiter came to him after he finished. Eriol reached inside his jacket to pay for his drink. His hand found the small pocket, and reached inside. To his surprise, there was nothing there. His mind ran back to the little boy who clutched onto his jacket.  
  
Eriol sat down in the dark and filthy cell. He had tried to explain that his money was stolen, but the manager wouldn't listen. Instead, he got locked up in this place, with his horse still at the inn. Eriol could just teleport, but he decided to sit a while and think. Why would they do that? Playing a trick on innocent people to get their money. Eriol just couldn't understand.  
  
Since his thinking did no good, Eriol got fed up with waiting inside the cell. He popped into his room, got some money, and reappeared outside the inn. He walked in, head held high. Eriol handed the money to the waiter. "Keep the change," he muttered, and then walked towards the stables in the back to get his horse.  
  
Eriol was so focused on thinking about thieves that he would have rode over a person, had not the horse stopped. The sudden stop brought Eriol back to his senses. Looking down, he saw a boy with brown hair lying in the road, barely a foot in front of his horse. Eriol got down to inspect the boy. To his surprise, it was Syaoran.  
  
  
  
Ok, I added this stuff to make up for the time that I won't be able to update later. Oh well... The next chapter probably won't be up for some time, so I'm using this 'chapter' to tell you, ok? Before you get all pissed at me.. *whispers* (I had to sneak on the computer)  
  
~*KawaiiSakuraAngel*~ (I know this is short, but it wasn't intended to be a chapter to begin with.) 


	17. Making a Decision

AN: Sigh.. Feel lucky I'm even finding time to type this up. For the sake of you people, I'm ditching my English homework in order to think up this chapter. Be grateful... VERY grateful. I'm risking getting an 'F' in English, just for the sake of you people.  
  
Thank you, reviewers!! I love ya all!  
  
DISCLAIMER: If I owned CCS, I'd- I'd- I'd GIVE A BETTER ENDING TO IT!!!!!  
  
".."=talking ..=thinking ^*^*^*^*=change of setting [AN.]=Author's Notes  
  
  
  
Friend or Foe, by KawaiiSakuraAngel... Chapter Seventeen:  
  
^*^*^*^*^*^*^ Li Kingdom ^*^*^*^*^*^*^  
  
Yelan was pacing around the room. The sun already set, and Xiaolang was still nowhere in sight. Yelan wasn't worried- she knew Syaoran can take care of himself. She was afraid that she wouldn't get the Clow Cards. Maybe it was possible that Syaoran decided to give them back- or maybe he never got them at all. But if he didn't get them, why did he even dare to come back? She began to get a headache, so she sat down on her chair.  
  
"CALL THE CAPTAIN OF THE GUARDS!" she hollered. When the servants hesitated, she added, "NOW!" The servants scattered out of the room, going to find the captain, wherever he may be.  
  
The captain arrived, panting and out of breath. When he heard that the queen was in a bad mood, he tried to get there as fast as possible. "I'm here, Your Majesty."  
  
Yelan nodded. "Good. I'm worried that-" Yelan stopped. She was almost going to say she was worried Xiaolang lost the Clow Cards. That would give others a bad impression of her. "I'm worried, because Prince Xiaolang still hasn't come back. He's been missing since yesterday afternoon, a little after noon. I want you to find him, as soon as you can."  
  
The guard stole a look at Wei, who turned away. Everyone knew that the prince trusted the servant. He bowed, and replied, "Yes, Your Majesty." The queen nodded her approval.  
  
^*^*^*^*^*^*^ Hiiragizawa Kingdom ^*^*^*^*^*^*^  
  
Eriol, unfortunately, was still trying to work out the more advanced spell when it came to teleporting. [AN: He was trying to invent one, in other words.] This meant that he wasn't able to teleport anything but himself (and the belongings that were on him). Unfortunately, a horse, Syaoran, and his pony, which Eriol found, were not 'belongings'. The pony wasn't used to having Syaoran as an owner, and wouldn't let Eriol put the unconscious boy on him. Eriol's horse wouldn't, either.  
  
Eriol couldn't use a levitation spell for that long, so he ended up putting Syaoran on his back, while the two horses followed. They didn't mind following him. After a while, he stopped to take a break. The two horses stood as if talking. Eriol wiped his forehead. His neck hurt, and his back felt like it was broken. He decided to take a little nap.  
  
Just then, Syaoran shifted a little, and his head fell onto Eriol's shoulder. Eriol pushed him off, grumbling. Syaoran's eyes began to twitch, and eventually woke up. With a lightning-quick movement, he shot up and got into a fighting stance.  
  
Eriol glanced at him lazily. "Oh yeah, you can kill me now," he remarked sarcastically.  
  
Syaoran looked down, noticing the king for the first time. "What am I doing here? What are you doing here?" Syaoran demanded.  
  
Eriol didn't bother to look at Syaoran anymore. Looking up made his neck hurt more. "Well, I was on my way back to the castle, when you showed up in my path, looking half-dead. Feel happy I did anything at all. I've never known anyone so UN-grateful."  
  
Syaoran glared at Eriol, only to realize that he was glaring at a sleeping person. Syaoran muttered to himself, and sat at a distance. He was tired, too, and fell into a fitful slumber.  
  
~ Tomoyo and Sakura went to find Eriol, but he wasn't there. Supposedly, they were going to find him and to say thanks for 'saving Sakura's life'. Sakura decided to look for him, as she had nothing to do. Tomoyo was left behind, helpless, when Sakura rode away on a horse. She spent most of her life in the castle, and never learned to ride. Sighing, she went back to work on some costumes for Sakura. ~  
  
Sakura rode until she saw two specks in the distance. She used the card dash on her horse, and it flew towards the two silhouettes. Closer, it was to outline of two horses. Nearby, there were two shapes. Sakura saw that they were Syaoran and Eriol. She gasped. What if Eriol hurt Syaoran? Sakura mentally hit herself. No, it was supposed to be the opposite way. What if Syaoran hut Eriol? After all, Syaoran was the one who tried to kill her and all.  
  
She kneeled by Eriol, and shook him gently. Syaoran was awakened by her movements, and got up. Like last time, he jumped right to a fighting stance. Sakura saw him out of the corner of her eye, but didn't say anything. Syaoran saw that the person was Sakura, and sank back to the ground.  
  
Sakura was a bit surprised, but continued to shake Eriol. Eriol groaned, and woke up. "Where am I?" he muttered softly. Sakura's face slowly became less crowed to his vision, and he remembered everything. Looking at Syaoran, he said, "You owe me an explanation of how you got here."  
  
Syaoran looked annoyed, but he answered anyway. "I was escaping from my mother, and so I took a horse and started riding away. The horse got tired, so I traded it for that pony. Then, I got attacked by some desert bandits in your kingdom here. I was planning to go around, but that would mean running straight into mother's army base, so I decided to cut through your kingdom. And look where I ended up," he said dryly. Then he actually laughed a little, but more in the way a crazy person would laugh, not joyfully. "You know, maybe I should have just let my mother kill me. I mean, I don't have my sword, and I don't have any money. All of it went to the owner of the pony."  
  
Sakura felt pity for him, while Eriol looked at Syaoran suspiciously. Eriol glanced at Syaoran with a special spell that only the greatest wizards could do. It showed if a person had magical abilities, even if the person was hiding them. Even with this, Syaoran's aura was dim, and he had nothing magical on him. "So it's true," Eriol commented to himself.  
  
Syaoran noticed the way Eriol was looking at him. "I wouldn't lie," he snapped, then turned oh Sakura. "Kinomoto, don't pity me. I don't need pity. It's bad enough knowing that mother will have an army chasing after me." Sakura didn't say anything.  
  
Eriol got up. "Fine, you can come with us, since you can't really do any harm now. Well, you still have your martial arts, but they're no match against the Sakura Cards." He shrugged.  
  
Syaoran broke into a fit of coughs, as if choking on something. Gasping for breath, he asked, "The WHAT Cards?!"  
  
Eriol scoffed at him. "Oh, the GREAT prince didn't know? Now the world's going to end!" Eriol dropped the high, mocking voice. "Seriously, you didn't know?" Syaoran managed to climb on the pony. He remained quiet for the rest of the way to the Hiiragizawa castle, where he was going to hide for a while.  
  
^*^*^*^*^*^*^ Hiiragizawa Castle ^*^*^*^*^*^*^  
  
Tomoyo went wide-eyed at the sight she saw at the window. If she wasn't mistaken, Syaoran was with Sakura and Eriol. Her features took on an evil look. There was finally going to be some action! Now she had a chance to pair the two up again (meaning S + S). She called a maid to her. The maid was new in the castle. That made it all easier.  
  
Downstairs, the trio was just coming in. A nervous maid came rushing to greet them. "We-Welcome. Umm... I assume that you two are master's guests."  
  
Sakura smiled. "In a way," she said.  
  
The maid nodded. "So what kingdom do you rule?"  
  
Syaoran looked confused. "What do you mean, what country do we rule?"  
  
The maid looked surprised. "I'm so sorry! I thought that you two were the queen and king of some kingdom. You look the part, at least. I'm so sorry!" With that last apology, the maid ran off into the hallway, where Tomoyo was.  
  
Tomoyo smiled. "Nice acting there," she commented. "Thank you for helping me." The maid smiled, and then went back to her original job, cleaning the castle. Looking around the corner of the wall again, Tomoyo saw Sakura and Syaoran's faces, both bright red from embarrassment, and smiled.  
  
^*^*^*^*^*^*^ Li Kingdom ^*^*^*^*^*^*^  
  
Yelan was pacing back and forth, back and forth. She paced so much that even the servants became dizzy and got out of the room. She was fuming, angry with Syaoran, and angry with the captain for not finding him. Yelan decided to make another trip to the temple.  
  
Yelan, like last time, lit some incense (I think that's spelled wrong), and kneeled. She looked up at the statue, and prayed that it would bring her son back, even if he doesn't have the Clow Cards. She wanted an explanation, and it was all right with her if the Buddha told her instead. She waited, hearing nothing but the monks outside, sweeping. She thanked the Buddha, then addressed her husband.  
  
To her husband, she told him that Syaoran has brought disgrace to the family. Syaoran has lied about getting the cards to her. She asked him to bring back her son, so that she would get an explanation from him. Hoping the two se prayed to listened, she headed back to her room, pushing anyone that got in her way.  
  
^*^*^*^*^*^*^ Hiiragizawa Kingdom ^*^*^*^*^*^*^  
  
Meanwhile, Sakura, Tomoyo, Kero, Eriol, and his two guardians were having a little meeting. Syaoran was sound asleep in his room, which gave them the freedom of discussing him as a subject. Eriol wanted to make the meeting brief, as he had kingdom matters to attend to. Unfortunately, the meeting was three-on-three. Kero, Suppi, and Eriol wanted to exile Syaoran, while Nakuru, Sakura, and Tomoyo wanted him to stay.  
  
Eriol decided that everyone should say why he or she wants Syaoran to stay/leave. He began: "His mission is to kill Sakura and get the Sakura Cards."  
  
"Let him stay. He looks cute." At this, everyone sweatdropped. Only Nakuru was left smiling.  
  
"He wants to take the C- Sakura Cards."  
  
"He makes a good couple with Sakura, and I can make her more costumes when she fights." (Everyone sweatdropped this time, except for Tomoyo, and Sakura blushed.)  
  
"He tried to hurt Sakura, and he always ignored me." Kero rolled his eyes.  
  
"I feel.. sorry for him?" Sakura felt that her reason was the weakest, but it made the second-most sense. The first was that he had his eyes on the Sakura Cards.  
  
"Our reasons make more sense," concluded Eriol. "Therefore, the 'prince' goes."  
  
Tomoyo pouted. "That's not true. The three of you just repeated the same thing, except for Kero, whose reason doesn't make sense either. Besides, Sakura made sense with hers, didn't she?"  
  
Eriol opened his mouth to say something, but closed it again. After a moment of silence, he muttered, "fine," and walked out of the room. Tomoyo jumped around for joy, and Sakura was still wondering if she did the right thing. Nakuru, though, was staring out the window, at a huge shadow-like shape appearing over the hills, heading straight for the castle.  
  
  
  
Hehe... I'm ending it here!!! HA! Well... I said I wasn't going to update, and yet I'm updating everyday. *sigh* I really think I'm gonna fail English. But as a WARNING, you all should know that I can't update too often. I'm just taking advantage of the fact that my uncle is here, and my father can't boss me around, got that?  
  
~*KawaiiSakuraAngel*~ 


	18. A Possible Enemy

AN: *grumbles* Why am I already typing this? I should be sitting there thinking my head off about this chapter!!! *sigh* I'm just too nice to disappoint all you reviewers, even if it's with a horrible chapter. haha (look below)  
  
I love reviews, and the people who write them!!!!  
  
Oh, and by the way..I have to say to Jared (thanks for reviewing, by the way) that uh.. I'm not sure about the changing part... I was thinking that it might come later. Oh well.. I don't know yet, because I haven't typed this yet. (duh! And for those people that don't know, I just continue as I go along. It's always possible that my whole supposedly-planned out plot will change all of a sudden.) So... just don't expect anything too dramatic, or anything like that. Oh, and Eriol isn't giving up easily.. he's *ahem* thinking about something (or one) else. And because of this thinking, he.. I guess he didn't bother to solve any of the major problems. Hehe...  
  
( That *points ^* also goes for the rest of you people!) ok.. I think I've gone crazy...  
  
DISCLAIMER: I don't own CCS. I'm just gonna be plain about it.  
  
".."=talking ..=thinking ^*^*^*^*=change of setting [AN.]=Author's Notes   
Friend or Foe, by KawaiiSakuraAngel...  
  
Chapter Eighteen:  
"Sakura," Ruby Moon called, tapping on her shoulder. Just a second ago, she had been Nakuru, but the sight outside caused her to change. When she got Sakura's attention, she pointed outside the window. Tomoyo stopped rejoicing to look. Time seemed to slow down for that one second they remained quiet.  
  
"Oh.. my.." Sakura stared at the army gathering on the hillside. Tomoyo was the one to act first, running to the courtyard, where Eriol was. The courtyard was on the other side of the castle, so Eriol probably never noticed.  
  
Tomoyo ran into Eriol halfway to the courtyard. "Didn't you say that you were going to be in the courtyard?" she asked.  
  
The expression on Eriol's face was hard to read. "Not anymore. We have trouble heading this way. Li Kingdom mages. Not many, but they're known for their power."  
  
Tomoyo was surprised. "They have mages?" Her face became more troubled than before. "But they already brought such a huge army, and-"  
  
Eriol cut Tomoyo off. "They brought an army?" Before the girl could reply, he was already running to the towers for a better look. Tomoyo went back to Ruby Moon and Sakura.  
  
"They-they have mages, along with the army," she managed to say, while trying to regain her breath.  
  
Ruby Moon nodded, understanding. "So that was the power Sakura and I felt. I remember Eriol saying something about mages a while ago. So it's either war, or we could just hand over Prince Xiaolang."  
  
"And the Sakura Cards," Sakura added.  
  
"And the Sakura Cards." All three of them sighed. They couldn't risk war, but they couldn't give up the Sakura Cards either. More importantly, they couldn't give up Sakura  
  
^*^*^*^*^*^*^ In the Tower ^*^*^*^*^*^*^  
  
Eriol looked out at the gathering army. His own force was further north, defending the peasants from raiders. There wasn't enough time to get them back. The rest of the soldiers left in the castle wouldn't be able to even make a 1:20 ratio. The Li Kingdom was known for its mages and army. It would be very difficult to beat them physically. Eriol thought it over. Perhaps it was possible for the reincarnation of Clow Reed to defeat 7-10 of the best mages of the Li Kingdom?  
  
Eriol stood, thinking. If he beat the mages, maybe the army will cower in fear. But who would hold off the army while he dealt with the mages? Eriol furrowed his eyebrows as he tried to make up a plan.  
  
Of course! Why hadn't he thought of it? Syaoran could handle this problem on his own. After all, the army did come here for the sake of him. A smirk made its way to Eriol's face once again. This would be interesting to watch. ^*^*^*^*^*^*^ At the Castle Gates ^*^*^*^*^*^*^  
  
Eriol didn't waste anytime in his actions. With a small trick, he managed to get a fatigued Syaoran to the front gates. Syaoran stood wavering, still half-asleep. Eriol watched in amusement behind him, hidden in the shadows. Now wouldn't be a good time to use magic, since the mages were around.  
  
The moving shadow continued to inch closer. Syaoran shook his head and opened his eyes fully to get a good look. 'Oh no,' he mouthed silently, and rolled his eyes, even though it was not exactly the right time to do so. Closer and closer the army got, until each every acute detail could be seen. [AN: Hey, well these people have good eyesight, ok? Unlike me- I have glasses. (mind you, I'm NOT a nerd)]  
  
Without warning, the whole troop stopped abruptly. One person, alone, rode up to Syaoran. The man was fairly tall with straight black hair, which was brushed back neatly. He had deep, dark brown eyes that stood out against his face. A pointed nose led to thin and tight lips that barely moved when he spoke. After dismounting and bowing respectfully, he took as step back before talking.  
  
"You highness, Queen Yelan would like for you to go back to the castle. I was sent to accompany you." A sneer was slightly visible in his features.  
  
Syaoran noticed, but said nothing. "General FeiJian, I am ready to go back. At least, not yet." [FeiJian- fly- sword. It was the best I could come up with. *shrug*]  
  
General FeiJian's impatience shown clearly. "Your highness, those were the queen's orders," he spat, enunciating every word with spite and almost hatred. Eriol continued to watch motionlessly, taking a note of the general.  
  
Syaoran didn't even bother to look up to the face to the general. Instead, he kept an uninterested face as he stared into blank space- an obvious sign of disregard. "Listen," Syaoran said through gritted teeth, "if I said that I wasn't going back, then I'm not going back."  
  
Even from a distance, Eriol could see the anger on FeiJian's face. When the captain opened his mouth, his words shook with anger. "Yes, your highness. I shall report back immediately." Keeping a relatively straight face, General FeiJian rode with all the dignity he cold muster back towards his troops.  
  
Syaoran sighed. Finally, that was over. Syaoran stopped before walking back into the castle. "Who's there?" he asked alarmingly. "Come out. Show yourself. I promise not to hurt you."  
  
A burst of laughter resounded from his right. Eriol stood out boldly, and smirked. "Well, my little descendent, I see that you've help me- for once."  
  
Syaoran glared at Eriol from habit. "Who's your little descendent?"  
  
Eriol raised an eyebrow. "Oh, don't tell me that you've already forgotten your old ancestor, Clow Reed." Eriol put on the same pitiful face he showed to Kero when they first met.  
  
Syaoran didn't fall for the face, but stood there quietly. When Eriol didn't make another noise, he raised his head, but the magician was nowhere to be seen. Grumbling about how he was used, Syaoran returned to his room.  
  
^*^*^*^*^*^*^ Li Kingdom Castle ^*^*^*^*^*^*^  
  
Yelan was fuming. "What?!?!?! Are you crazy? He didn't want to come back?" her voice echoed even in the halls. The maids and servants outside peered at each other and kept working, though each one was trying to listen in on the conversation.  
  
"I-I'm sorry, your majesty," General FeiJian stuttered. "The prince seemed eager enough, but something was probably holding him back," he continued falsely. [AN: Which is actually true, but you get the point.]  
  
Yelan fell for his lie. "It's all right. You tried your best." FeiJian hid a smirk. "So that Hiiragizawa has something that's holding him back. I wonder what it could be- maybe he's stolen the cards from Xiaolang?"  
  
FeiJian put on a surprised face. "But Xia- the prince is strong in both physical and magical ways. How is that possible?"  
  
Yelan didn't reply for a while. Finally, she said, "I'm glad that you think so highly of Xiaolang, but I'm afraid that Hiiragizawa might stronger." With that said, she walked out of the room.  
  
FeiJian watched closely as she went. Briskly, he walked to the door and shut it. Then he muttered a few ancient words. A dark mass of smoke appeared before him, and materialized to a mirror. As the smoke cleared away, a vague silhouette was visible. "Master," FeiJian bowed.  
  
The figure nodded approvingly. "It's been some time. You've done everything I told you to, haven't you?"  
  
FeiJian lowered his head in disgrace. "I'm sorry, but I didn't get the chance to kill the prince. There were too many people, and there was a- no, two strong auras close by."  
  
"You don't have to worry about those auras. They shall not interfere. Just do exactly as I say. I you die, I shall make sure, personally, that you will live a good life in hell."  
  
FeiJian shuddered, but showed no other sign of fear. "Yes, sir, I will try my best."  
  
"Good."   
  
AN: haha. short chappie! Am I torturing all my readers? *ponders over question* Nah- I'm doing this so that I can stop making all my fans go crazy. By the way. how many fans do I even have? *counts* well, not that much, but more than expected!  
  
Anyway, I'll try to get the next chapter up as soon as possible!  
  
~*KawaiiSakuraAngel*~ 


	19. A Bit Too Dense

AN: Sigh.. So, here I am again, typing up another chapter. I am supposed to be doing CHINESE/piano homework!!! *sigh* Ah oh well. I still have a bunch of stuff to do. It's probably gonna take me a long time to type this up, considering that I have to make this up, as well as type.  
  
As a reminder (again), I'd like to tell all you to not get mad at me for not really updating. I'm serious- except for weekends, I sleep an average of 5 hours a day. Does that sound like a lot to you? Probably not. So obviously, I won't have enough time and energy to update that often. But I will try, really I will.  
  
DISCLAIMER: If I owned CCS, I would... I would... I have no idea.  
  
".."=talking ..=thinking ^*^*^*^*=change of setting [AN.]=Author's Notes  
Friend or Foe, by KawaiiSakuraAngel... Chapter Nineteen:  
  
^*^*^*^*^*^*^ Hiiragizawa Kingdom ^*^*^*^*^*^*^  
  
Eriol knew that something wasn't right. Something was out there. It wasn't anything he'd met before, but the feeling was familiar all the same. Perhaps the feeling came from Clow Reed's history. The boy pondered and thought, but nothing came to mind. Finally, he gave up and sighed.  
  
Ruby Moon and Spinel exchanged hopeless looks. Well, hopeless, for they knew it was no use to ask Eriol for an explanation. Knowing so, the two guardians sighed as well.  
  
Meanwhile, Sakura and Tomoyo were sitting in their room. As always, they took Tomoyo's suggestion of talking.  
  
"...And the army just retreated all of a sudden. Did you see that?" Tomoyo exclaimed happily and excitedly for the ninth time.  
  
Sakura, half asleep, muttered, "Yeah, Tomoyo, I did," for the ninth time as well. Despite the fact that Tomoyo was her best friend, the girl can be a bit too enthusiastic sometimes. A sudden knock on the door woke Sakura's senses. "Who's there?" she asked cautiously.  
  
"Me," a voice grumbled outside.  
  
Tomoyo's talk ended abruptly, and the curious look on her face was gone quicker than lightning. "Uh... can you hold on for a moment?" she called. Without waiting for an answer, she pushed Sakura over to the other side of the room, and miraculously fit her in a splendid gown in a matter of seconds, not to mention also doing Sakura's hair.  
  
"Alright!" she called.  
  
Syaoran walked into the room, knowing that Tomoyo was up to something. Before stepping in, he never would have guessed-  
  
Sakura was standing behind Tomoyo (trying to hide herself). She was wearing a [AN: what else?] pink and white gown that skimmed the floor in a plain, yet elegant way. Her hair was tied up (or twisted, whatever) at the back of her head.  
  
Syaoran was at a lost of words, but the smirk on Tomoyo's face freed from his trance. He fixed a glare on her, but it had no use, as usual. Tomoyo's smirk grew bigger. Syaoran would have stormed out of the room at that moment if it weren't for the fact that Sakura was standing there.  
  
Tomoyo's face suddenly turned bright red. "Excuse me," she managed to breathe out, then ran out onto the balcony. Sakura still stood quietly, head lowered, so that she wouldn't have to see Syaoran.  
  
Syaoran, with his 'trained' hearing, managed to catch some sound waves that sounded distinctly like muffled laughter. He fought to keep from imagining himself going outside and pushing Tomoyo off the balcony. Still, Sakura and Syaoran stood uncomfortably in silence. Finally, Syaoran sat down on a chair right next to him.  
  
Almost like taking a cue, Sakura sat down as well. Syaoran's mind grumbled something about not being able to see Sakura's face.  
  
'No, that's not right,' Syaoran argued against that voice at the back of his head.  
  
Th taunting voice didn't give up, though. 'Why not? One would think that you know your own feelings...'  
  
Syaoran's clenched his fists mentally. 'Of course I do! And I DON'T believe that I recall having feelings for her.'  
  
Syaoran continued bickering with himself for what he would call a considerably long time. [AN: Well, it doesn't take that long to argue with yourself. It just seems long.]  
  
Tomoyo came in at this time. "Well, well," she said, an eyebrow raised at the 'cute couple'. She snickered loud enough for Syaoran to hear on purpose. Syaoran rolled his eyes. "Syaoran!" she exclaimed lightly, as if having an epiphany, "what were you doing here again?"  
  
Syaoran fumbled, trying to find a reasonable answer. "Uh.."  
  
Tomoyo continued to gaze at him the same way. "To visit Sakura, right?"  
  
Sakura looked up for the first time, hearing her name mentioned. Syaoran's jaw suddenly felt VERY heavy. The gown Tomoyo made caused Sakura's already- gorgeous eyes stand out even more beautifully. "Well, if it's for me, I guess you needn't come, then. I wouldn't like to take up so much of your time."  
  
Syaoran and Tomoyo both sweatdropped. They knew that Sakura wasn't trying to make Syaoran go away. She was just being herself.  
  
Sakura, still too dense to figure it out, continued, "I mean, my health is fine, and I haven't been sick in a long time-"  
  
As Tomoyo slapped her forehead, Syaoran stammered, "U-uh I-I think I'll, uh, go now." With that, he ran out of the room.  
  
Sakura blinked. "Why-" But Tomoyo wasn't there anymore. Scratching her head in confusion, she sighed.  
  
^*^*^*^*^*^*^ In the Hallway ^*^*^*^*^*^*^  
  
Tomoyo caught up to Syaoran. "That went well."  
  
Syaoran cast her a sideways glance, then walked on as if she didn't exist. He would have started grumbling to himself about Sakura's actions, but 1) it wasn't his fault that he liked her for everything she was 2) Tomoyo was there. Still, Tomoyo didn't mind, and tried to keep up with his pace.  
  
She tried again. "I mean, you know how Sakura can be dense sometimes."  
  
Syaoran stopped abruptly, making Tomoyo almost bump into him. "What are you talking about?" he asked.  
  
Tomoyo smiled at the back of Syaoran's head. "You know what I mean. I was right about you going to visit her, wasn't I?"  
  
Syaoran pretended to not know what she was talking about. "I-I don't- I mean- I-"  
  
Tomoyo smirked. "Uh-huh. Of course you don't. Don't what?" She was pleased that Syaoran couldn't find a reply. "Admit it. You like her."  
  
"No I don't. Who said I did? Why would I like her?" Syaoran was blushing, but he acted like nothing happened.  
  
Tomoyo stepped in front of him. "You're blushing," she teased. Syaoran rolled his eyes and walked away.  
  
^*^*^*^*^*^*^ Eriol's Study ^*^*^*^*^*^*^  
  
Syaoran walked past Eriol's study and heard some mumbling going on. "Come IN," Eriol's voice shot through his head.  
  
Syaoran grumbled. That Hiiragizawa, he thought. why does he know everything? He pushed open the door, and walked in.  
  
Eriol was ready with an answer. "BECAUSE, I am in charge of this place, and you aren't." Syaoran grumbled some more. "But I have more important matters to discuss...  
HAHAHAHAHAHA. Shortest chapter ever!!! Oh well.. I'm too busy to do any better. Hmm.. perhaps I should put some action into my next chapter?  
  
People, I'm really sorry about not updating, but please don't get mad..  
  
~*KawaiiSakuraAngel*~ 


	20. An Unknown Name

AN: Ok. I'm back into the writing business. So all you people out there who actually like my fic *smiles sweetly* thank you for waiting! (Arigato Gozaimasu)  
  
By the way, do you know how sad I am? I can't even remember my own plot! (...and I do NOT want to read all 23000 words of it!) Besides that. I have no idea what to write either. Anywayz, do NOT, I repeat, do NOT expect me to put in a whole bunch of fluff in my fic- I'm just not that kind of person.  
  
DISCLAIMER: If I owned CCS, I wouldn't be here writing fanfics.  
  
".."=talking ..=thinking ^*^*^*^*=change of setting [AN.]=Author's Notes  
Friend or Foe, by KawaiiSakuraAngel... Chapter Twenty:  
  
Syaoran was really ticked off. "What do you mean, someone's coming to get me?!"  
  
Eriol smirked... again. (Syaoran made a mental note to make sure that it was the last time.) "Of course- I recognized the aura."  
  
Suppi couldn't help but interrupt. "Oh yeah, after a very long time of thinking."  
  
Eriol looked at his guardian disapprovingly, and turned back to Syaoran. "If I recall properly, this enemy swore, before Clow defeated him, that he would get revenge. And since your family line happens to be my only descendents, he's after you."  
  
Syaoran looked annoyed. "So this guy is after me? Why doesn't' he go after the GREAT Clow's reincarnation?"  
  
"He'll find out soon, as soon as he feels my aura," Eriol explained briefly. "But seriously, there's very few people who can defeat you, with me by your side."  
  
"You're going to be one MY side?"  
  
"Well, I can't leave my cute little descendent here to fight all alone, can I?" Eriol inquired, while rolling his eyes.  
  
"So you said very few people," Syaoran said. "Who?"  
  
Eriol thought for a moment. "Well, there's a few that I've defeated during the time when I was Clow Reed. Otherwise, there's this enemy we're currently up against- but I forgot his name."  
  
"That was my point," Syaoran growled. "We don't even know his name, and we're supposed to fight him?"  
  
"Precisely. All I remember at the moment is his aura." [AN: all right, folks, this is where I need your help. I need you to find/make up a name for the bad guy. It's not that hard, is it?]  
  
Syaoran growled in disgust, then turned out of the room.  
  
Eriol looked after him. "But he'll need the cards to defeat us," he muttered uselessly.  
  
^*^*^*^*^*^*^ Li Kingdom ^*^*^*^*^*^*^  
  
FeiJian was not in a good mood. His master has told him some disturbing news. His master said that, after he checked his powers, they weren't as strong as they used to be, so he needed the Clow Cards in order to defeat Syaoran. [Note: he excepts Syaoran to be as powerful as Clow.] FeiJian sighed. How was he supposed to capture the Clow Cards? They disappeared from the Li family a long time ago!  
  
Suddenly, a cloud formed in front of the captain. "M-master," FeiJian stammered, as the cloud cleared and became a mirror in front of him.  
  
The shadow in the mirror nodded slowly. "One more thing," it said. "I heard that the cards now have a mistress. I think I would like to meet her. Of course, that shouldn't be a problem if you're going to get the cards for me, right?"  
  
FeiJian smiled nervously, and laughed a little. "Of course, master. As you wish. If there's-"  
  
"If there's anything else, I'll ask for it. Thank you." A cloud appeared once more, and covered the mirror as it grew smaller and finally disappeared.  
  
FeiJian groaned. It was too late to just turn back and live a normal life.  
  
^*^*^*^*^*^*^ Hiiragizawa Kingdom ^*^*^*^*^*^*^  
  
Syaoran was walking along the hall after supper, when something caught his eye. Strange, he thought, Who would be out here this late? Syaoran gulped when he was close enough to make out the shape. He walked out into the yard, to where the figure sat at the edge of a fountain. Syaoran sat down beside her. "Hi Sakura," he said.  
  
Sakura started, and fell into the water. Syaoran quickly reached down and pulled her out. "Thanks."  
  
Syaoran shrugged. Sakura stared at him. "What?" he asked.  
  
Sakura started giggling as Syaoran waited for her answer. "You- were-" Sakura had to stop again to giggle some more, forcing Syaoran to keep waiting patiently. "You were smiling," she finally answered. "You should smile more- you look kawaii when you smile."  
  
Syaoran looked startled himself. He was smiling? She thought he looked cute? A heavenly sound knocked him out of his bewildered thoughts- Sakura was laughing at the face he was making. She met his gaze, and stopped laughing. For a second [or actually what seemed like a long time], it seemed like Syaoran was going to kiss her, but he suddenly turned his head to a cluster of bushes...  
  
"Uh-oh," Tomoyo muttered under her breath. She stepped out of the shadows cautiously. "Heh.. It's just me," she squeaked, afraid that Syaoran was going to kill her for ruining the moment.  
  
Actually, Syaoran was a tiny bit glad. He had no idea what to do if he actually kissed Sakura. He tried to keep his face calm. "And what are you doing out here this late?"  
  
Tomoyo smirked. "What are YOU two doing out here this late?"  
  
Syaoran blushed, despite his effort. "We... we, well I was taking a walk, and I bumped into Sakura," he said.  
  
Sakura blushed too. "Yeah, that's what happened," she agreed.  
  
"Well, I'm just be going to my room," Sakura and Syaoran said simultaneously. The pinkish color on both of their cheeks darkened. Tomoyo sighed and shook her head, wondering if the cute couple will ever admit that they like each other. Then again, she was the one who ruined the moment.  
  
^*^*^*^*^*^*^ Sakura's Room ^*^*^*^*^*^*^  
  
Sakura opened her door to her room, her eyes seeming very distant and dreamy. In an instant, Kero's false form was in her face, a betrayed look on his features. "Sakura, you know that I don't like that Li gaki. You should stay away from him. Besides," Kero pouted "You haven't brought me any pudding for a long time! All you've been doing is practically locking me in your room."  
  
Sakura blinked. "What were you saying?" she asked, still not paying attention to him.  
  
"Never mind," grumbled. He flew over to a bell, used for calling room service, and rang it loudly. Soon enough, there was a knock at the door. "Some pudding, please!" Kero called out in a high voice, attempting to sound like Sakura. When the maid left the door, Kero tapped on Sakura's shoulder. "Hellooooo? Did you hear ANYTHING I said?"  
  
Sakura finally brought herself back to reality. "Uh, not really," she said.  
  
Kero sweatdropped. "Well, just stay away from that Li kid, okay? He's dangerous."  
  
Sakura frowned. "Kero, how many times do I have to tell you? He's changed."  
  
Kero scoffed. "Well, whatever you say. I'm going to sleep now." He flew over to his little bed.  
  
Sakura smiled, and climbed into her own bed. She was almost asleep, when a sudden shout of "Oh yeah, my pudding!" interrupted. She shook her head, and settled further into her pillow.  
  
^*^*^*^*^*^*^ Eriol's Study ^*^*^*^*^*^*^  
  
Eriol was still troubling himself over the semi-known enemy they were all facing. What was his name...?  
~~~~~ Ah... well, the end of another SHORT chapter... Anywayz, I know it's extremely short, but LIVE WITH IT! ~~~~~ Now, I have two things I need your help with:  
  
1) Umm, what would be the enemy's name?  
  
2) And I *think* I have left Yue out of this fic. @.@ (oops?) So, if I did, how do I add him in?  
  
HELP!! The sooner someone helps me, the quicker I'll be able to post up my next chapter! (The first one is a bit more urgent. I can't go on calling him 'the enemy' forever. Wait.. Yue is important, too. Maybe the second one is more important? Oh well, just help me!)  
  
~*KawaiiSakuraAngel*~ 


	21. The Blank Card

AN: Yes, well, another chapter. And I'm really sorry about taking so long to update, really, really sorry. Even now, during the summer, I am taking a summer course. It's tough, w/ all the homework, so please, pretty please, forgive me. Ok, on with the story..  
  
DISCLAIMER: I WISH.  
  
".."=talking =thinking ^*^*^*^*=change of setting  
[AN.]=Author's Notes  
  
Friend or Foe, by KawaiiSakuraAngel... Chapter Twenty One:  
  
Sakura woke up early, when the sun was just waking from its slumber. She was sitting on her bed, still thinking about last night. Once in a while, she uttered a dreamy sigh.  
  
The sunlight began to fill the room. When it crept up to Kero, the guardian growled. "Alright, alright, I'll get up. Jeez-" Kero blinked. He rubbed his eyes to make sure they were working, then shook his head to make sure that he was not hallucinating. Sakura was actually up before he was? Then, reality struck him. In fact, it hit him like a ton of bricks. "Oh no," he moaned.  
  
"Sakura?" he tried, but there was no response. "SAKURA?!?!?" he yelled, jumping in front of her.  
  
"Wha- Kero!" Sakura sighed. "What did you do that for?"  
  
Kero crossed his arms. "Oh, so when I told you to stay away from the Li gaki, you start day dreaming about him? Do you even pay attention to me nowadays?" Kero put on a little sad face and pouted.  
  
Sakura looked at Kero. "Oh I'm so sorry. Will a bowl of pudding help?" she asked slyly, trying to bride her guardian out of sticking his nose into her business.  
  
Kero's face suddenly lit up. A few minutes later, he was stuffing his face full of pudding. "Hey Sakura," he fit in between bites, "You know that you can't fully bribe me outta minding your business. After all, I AM your guardian." Kero paused so that he could gulp down a mouthful of pudding. "Speaking of being your guardian, don't you think that you should use your cards once in a while?"  
  
Sakura blinked. "Huh? Oh, the cards."  
  
Kero looked thoughtful. "You know, maybe you can try to battle that Li kid. You won before, didn't you? Besides, it'll be good for you to practice fighting with the cards. I've been sensing something fishy lately."  
  
Sakura smiled a little to herself. "Um, sure. I guess I'll go ask him." She headed for her door.  
  
"There's no need to do that. Just jump out of your window and challenge him." Sure enough, Syaoran was there with his sword, beginning his everyday warm up. Just before Sakura left, Kero's stomach started growling loudly- very loudly. He smiled nervously. "Speaking of fish... I'm still a bit hungry."  
  
^*^*^*^*^*^*^ With Syaoran ^*^*^*^*^*^*^  
  
Syaoran breathed in the morning air as he walked outside. He glanced sideways at the fountain from yesterday, and felt his face start to get warm. "Humph," he said to himself under his breath. The prince pulled his sword from its scabbard. [AN: That's the right word, right? ^^;;] Syaoran glanced down at his sword. It was the Li Clan- or now Kingdom- sword. Even though the weapon was extremely old, the edge was as sharp as ever. Smiling to himself, he started his daily routine.  
  
The sword swished through the air, but that wasn't the only sound that Syaoran heard. Focusing on the sound, he thrust his sword point in the direction of the source, and heard a light gasp. Syaoran was so startled at the person that he dropped his sword. He hastily bent down to pick it up, then changed it into a pendant. [AN: Look, I'm really stupid. Does the sword turn into a pendant or orb? I kinda.. forgot.] "Ohayo, Sakura," he murmured, his face glowing redder than a tomato.  
  
Sakura blushed a little. "Hi, Syaoran." She gestured to the scowling Kero behind her. "Kero says that I should practice using the cards, so I was wondering if I could maybe-"  
  
"How kawaii!" a squeal ringed around the garden.  
  
Syaoran frowned. "Oh no, not her-" he began to complain.  
  
Sakura blinked. "That sounded like Tomoyo," she commented. Syaoran and Kero sweatdropped. they both thought simultaneously, exchanging exasperated glances. Syaoran heard a light gasp, followed by vague whispers and giggling, which Sakura and Kero didn't seem to notice. He narrowed his eyes suspiciously at the place where the voices came from. Whoever it was fell silent.  
  
Kero heaved a sigh. "Hey, brat," he called, getting Syaoran's attention. The guardian gestured to Sakura, who was still trying to figure out whether she heard her best friend's voice, and re-folded his arms. "My mistress was about to challenge you to a battle. So, do you accept it?" He put on a superior look when Syaoran just stared at him. "Scared, brat?"  
  
Syaoran glared, eyebrow twitching. "Did you just say I was scared? Me? A descent of Clow-" He paused to think. "Actually, I shouldn't put it that way, since Clow's reincarnation turned out to be Hiiragizawa. Allow me to re-phrase. Ahem. Me? A prince of the mighty Li Clan? In your dreams!"  
  
Kero glared back. "Well then accept the challenge!" he roared, which sounded like a squeak in his false form. The guardian rushed to clear his throat.  
  
"I-I-I," Syaoran stammered.  
  
Suddenly, Tomoyo sprang out of nowhere and appeared next to Syaoran. This surprised Syaoran so much that he leaped back, almost knocking Sakura over. Kero was about to fall out of the air. Only Sakura seemed unaffected. "Oh, so that WAS you, Tomoyo!" she exclaimed. Everyone eyed her with a wary glance.  
  
Tomoyo put on a smile and continued as if nothing had happened. "Isn't it obvious? Li is afraid that he might accidentally hurt Sakura." She shrugged. "It's so kawaii, though!" The statement was right on target. Syaoran's face started to grow warm. He turned away from the others, to hide himself. Tomoyo however, was already in motion, sketching Syaoran. "I wonder what I will call this sketch. How about-" she paused. "There's too many cute names I can name this! It's not everyday that you see PRINCE Li blushing." [AN: I actually know someone called Prince, and his last name is pronounced Li. ^^;; what a coincidence.]  
  
Syaoran made another "Humph" sound. "I'm not afraid of anything. I'll fight her!" He declared loudly. Tomoyo sighed and shook her head in wonder.  
  
Sakura smiled. "It's ok, just fight your best. Don't worry about me."  
  
Syaoran's blush turned several shades darker.  
  
Sakura and Syaoran moved so that they were opposite each other, Kero hovering in between. He folded his arms and rolled his eyes and Syaoran, who scowled in response. "Let the match begin!" he announced.  
  
Syaoran whipped out his sword, and held it out, pointing it at Sakura. Sakura transformed her staff, and took out a card. Syaoran stood his ground, ready to block her attack. Strangely, Sakura hesitated. Syaoran, Kero, and Tomoyo ran over to her. Eriol was suddenly there, too, but no one paid attention to him. Sakura turned the card around, causing everyone to gasp- it was blank.  
  
Eriol looked worried. "He's back."  
  
Tomoyo frowned. "Who?"  
  
~~HA!! A cliffy! YAY! I finally found out this way to continue w/o the guy's name. So, yeah. YAY! *Ahem* Anywayz, without a cliffy, who will come back to keep reading? So, yeah, please review, so that I can get my confidence back and keep going!  
  
Thanks, ~*KawaiiSakuraAngel*~ 


	22. Uh, wait a sec, what?

AN: *runs away from angry readers* Wait! Let me explain! I was busy! It's not my fault I took so long to update... uh... actually, it is, but still... ^^;;  
  
DISCLAIMER: You know what this is here for.  
  
".."=talking =thinking ^*^*^*^*=change of setting  
[AN.]=Author's Notes  
  
Friend or Foe, by KawaiiSakuraAngel... Chapter Twenty Two:  
  
A maid watched as everyone filed into Eriol's room. She stood in the shadows, hiding. As the door closed behind Syaoran, an evil grin flashed across her face.   
  
^*^*^*^*^*^*^ Eriol's Study (Sometime later) ^*^*^*^*^*^*^  
  
Sakura began feeling sleepy from the heat of the noon sun. Yawning, she fell sideways onto Syaoran's shoulder and began snoozing (not snoring). Syaoran blushed. Tomoyo immediately took out materials and began to sketch. Kero, however, was not pleased. The guardian kept muttering to himself about how absurd it was.  
  
The door opened, and lunch was brought to them. Kero put all his muttering aside and began stuffing his mouth full of food. Tomoyo idly chewed a spoonful while continuing her sketch. She didn't need to worry about the pose, since Syaoran was sitting very still. Her eyes flickered to Eriol, and saw that he didn't even touch his food. In fact, she noticed, he had been sitting in complete silence the whole entire morning, staring into outer space.  
  
she thought, as she picked up her pencil to continue. To her surprise, Eriol looked down at his food and began eating. Tomoyo put down her pencil and stared. Even Syaoran was surprised, but he kept still as a statue. (Kero, obviously, was too busy eating to care. "Eating is important anyway," he mumbled through a mouthful of food.)  
  
The king finally finished eating and got up. He walked over to the other four. He hesitated, and everyone held their breaths, wondering if he was going to explain to them what was going on. Sakura was awake by now, and stretched as she waited.  
  
Eriol sighed and cleared his throat, as though he was about to present a speech. Syaoran was just about to burst out with some rude comment when Eriol began talking. "Well, uh, this morning .. he- wait- I forgot his name." Everyone sweatdropped, Syaoran cursing under his breath.  
  
Clearing his throat, the king attempted to explain. "Well, it happened to Clow, not me personally. Besides, I don't think his name matters too much anyway." When he got a glare from Syaoran, he elaborated, "I'll tell you when I find out. I think that Clow purposely decided to stop me from finding out too much, though I do know a little."  
  
Syaoran, however, was not very convinced. "So you say. Well, where exactly does this guy come from, then?"  
  
"Uh.. uhh.."  
  
"Spill it, Hiiragizawa... unless you're too stupid to know that as well," Syaoran stated coolly.  
  
"Ok, fine. At first, he hated magic, so he decided to just get rid of it. That, as you may or may not have guessed, is not an easy task. Therefore, he devised a plan, where he would just take all the magic in the world and make it his own. He, of course, hating magic at the time, didn't think too much of all the power he was going to obtain- he didn't plan on using any of it, except to gain more. But as all men with power, he wanted more and more as he grew stronger. Then he went against his promise to himself, and began using the magic for all sorts of reasons. Soon enough, he found Clow, but wasn't powerful enough to defeat him." Eriol breathed in after teaching his history lesson.  
  
"So how come he's bothering us?" Syaoran continued to pry. "Why isn't he dead yet?"  
  
Sakura's eyes widened. "S-so you mean that he's, like, back from the dead or something? B-but I don't like g-ghosts!" she wailed, clutching his arm. (Syaoran blushed.)  
  
"Actually, he never died. He keeps living by sucking the life out of living people," sighed Eriol.  
  
"Eeek!"  
  
"So Hiiragizawa," Syaoran looked at Eriol, his eyes narrowed, as if daring the other to lie, "If this person is taking away the power of the cards, what do we have left to fight back with?"  
  
Everyone looked at Eriol expectantly, but he only said two words:  
  
"You'll see."  
  
^*^*^*^*^*^*^ A Few Moments Later ^*^*^*^*^*^*^  
  
Eriol stood before the window in his study, alone but for Kero, who sat on the desk, with a dark expression on his face. Sounds of Spinel Sun's shrieks floated into the window from the courtyard. Kero sighed. Eriol said to Kero as he turned around to face him, "I think you deserve to know what's going on around here."  
  
Kero meet his glaze suspiciously. "So you knew, but you didn't tell us? Why?"  
  
"Well, you see, I still cannot tell you the entire story, for you cannot defeat him if you knew." Ignoring Kero's confused face, he continued, "You see, the whole thing started with one magician, HIM, and one girl. At the time, magic was not hidden from the world, and people were not afraid of these so-called unnatural talents. Anyway, they both wanted the girl, but she liked the magician more. Thinking that she was attracted to the magic and power, HE grew to hate magic, and that led him to do what I explained earlier. But after he crippled his old love enemy, the girl did not run to his arms as he dreamed, but she shunned him and did not show any signs of admiration. This act angered him even more." He stopped there, and looked out the window once more.  
  
Kero sweatdropped. "Um.. that has to do with this because...?"  
  
"Don't you understand- Never mind. But keep in mind that He has never felt love..."  
  
"But he loved that lady-girl-person," Kero argued.  
  
Eriol shook his head. "That's what he thought, but it began with lust, and ended with stubbornness." He stopped talking, implying that he did not wish to say anymore.  
  
"So what's the worst that can happen? And what's with not telling me?" Kero grumbled after gliding out of the study window.  
  
~~~ I'm really, really, really, really, really sorry about taking so long to update. I meant to do this a long time ago, but I was really busy. (whoa, too many really-s). And I'm sorry about the short chapter, but I'll try to write a longer one next time, ok? Let me off the hook this once? Onegai? (Arigato) :)  
  
Thanks to all who review! (Please do, I'd like to get some feed back.) 


	23. Note

Author's Note:

I will revise this fic as soon as I can. When I'm done with the first few chapters (believe me, they need work), I'll post them up. They'll be better than before, I promise. And if anyone wants to know, I still have no idea where the plot's going, so I'm probably going to improvise anyway… (at least with good grammar!)

Revised 1st chapter will probably appear in a week or so. This fic will be deleted when that happens. I hope you don't all hate me for it. "


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